Trusting Emrys
by SapphireDragon7
Summary: Arthur puts the pieces together, and finally learns Merlin's secret. What will he do with Emrys now? Will he be able to ever trust his best friend? Magic reveal story that takes place at the end of season four, and goes through some of season 5 with an alternate ending.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place at the end of season 4, during the "Sword in the Stone" arc. It is a magic reveal story so it will change how season 5 would progress. I will mainly focus on Merlin and Arthur because they are my favorite characters. This chapter is really a prologue setting up for the rest of the story so I'd suggest reading through chapter two to see if its your cup of tea. ;) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or any of the characters in it, unfortunately. If I did, I wouldn't have ended the show!

* * *

Chapter 1

Isolde rested against the tree, while Tristan went to fetch some more water from a nearby stream. It was one of the rare moments the couple was not together, especially now that Isolde had been injured, Arthur noted with some envy. He remembered when he and Gwen had shared a similar bond.

However much he tried to not think about his lost love, she haunted his thoughts daily. Of course, it didn't help that Merlin brought her up on a fairly regular basis as well. '_He hasn't been in the stocks for a while...maybe exiling him would be a little extreme, but if he dares to mention Gwen again, there will be consequences! If we make it back to Camelot that is…' _

"Thank you again for saving me Arthur. I have to say you are a much better actor than I would have expected. I mean with all the tree hugging and following Merlin around like a lost puppy for days, that was quite convincing- and Tristan and I aren't easily deceived!" Isolde said.

Arthur stared at Isolde puzzled for a few moments. He looked around for Merlin and saw that he was fumbling around in a food sack, trying to find a snack for the road. They didn't have time to stop, and were attempting to reach Ealdor before nightfall. As usual, his servant looked completely oblivious.

"Isolde, what do you mean by days? I only woke up from my injury yesterday," Arthur replied. Now it was Isolde's turn to give Arthur a puzzled look.

"Ah, maybe you were just out of it from a head injury as well," Isolde said.

Merlin came over and handed Arthur some bread, and from his evasive expression, seemed to have heard Isolde's last comment. Arthur glared at him, trying to convey, '_I will be getting a detailed account, with nothing left out, later.' _

"Well, Tristan is back, no time to lose! We are almost to Ealdor!" Merlin said jumping up quickly. A little too quickly, for he managed to trip on a tree root and fall flat on his face- or he would have, if Arthur hadn't grabbed his arm at the last minute and yanked him to standing. "Ow! Can you please not pull my arm out of socket!" Merlin complained.

"I wouldn't have to merlin if you weren't the clumsiest servant in the five kingdoms" Arthur said. Merlin grumbled under his breath in response, and they continued toward Ealdor. Arthur felt bruised and exhausted himself, and was looking forward to a bed, even if it was a pile of hay. Tristen's words and his own self doubt about being king were haunting him as well. He had appreciated Merlin's words of support the night before, not that he would tell him that. Merlin always seemed convinced he would be this great king, and even if the support was just from his servant, it made him feel slightly better.

"Mother!" Merlin yelled, embracing the petite woman, with her kind eyes and ready smile; merlin took after his mother in that. Arthur was surprised they were already in Ealdor. He had seen them approaching it, but hadn't noticed they were already there, which spoke something of his mental state. Arthur was familiar with how a concussion felt, having experienced quite a few in his time, but this felt different in a way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. From what Isolde said and how he felt, he would think he had been enchanted, but of course that was ridiculous.

Hunith ushered them inside, offering them food and a place to rest while Merlin cleaned Isolde's wound.

"I've cleaned her wound, and as long as she gets plenty of rest, she'll be fine," Merlin told the concerned Tristan.

"Thank you Merlin for everything you've done for her," Tristan replied. Merlin smiled warmly, nodded, and went to catch up with his mother.

"I'm sorry, I've brought this misfortune upon you," Arthur said.

"I may have lost my cargo, but I still have my beloved Isolde, and that is what matters," Tristan replied.

"Then you are far richer than you know," Arthur said, his thoughts drifting wistfully to Gwen again. _'I can almost hear her voice in my head. I really must be losing my mind._'

* * *

'_Agravain. It had to be Agravain leading the charge against his village._' Merlin's blood boiled when he thought of Agravain's betrayal, and how it was tearing Arthur apart. It took every ounce of his self control not to go out there and attack Agravain and protect his village, but he could not reveal his secret, and he had to flee with Arthur if he was to protect him. _'If I leave the prat for one minute, he'll stumble across a hidden Serket nest that has been is stasis for millennia, but will magically be activated by Arthur's presence._' Something always happened to Arthur when Merlin wasn't there.

Merlin followed them around back and out of the village, but they soon heard screams following them. They fled with Merlin guiding them to some nearby caves. The flames of the enemy torches were getting closer, and he realised what he must do. There was no way they could face an army on their own.

"You all go ahead, I'll cover our tracks," Merlin said. As soon as Arthur, Gwen, Tristan, and Isolde were in the cave and out of sight, he called Kilgharrah.

"Did we lose them?" Arthur asked.

"We're safe," Merlin said.

"You're sure?" Arthur asked.

"Do I look like an idiot?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't change does he?"

After a moment of trying to remember the way, over which Arthur, of course, gave him a royal hard time, Merlin pointed them in the direction they should go. Arthur pushed his way through to the front, always insisting by his actions, if not his words, that he had to be the one to face the danger first. '_Always thinks he is the best one to fight off danger, the arrogant prat_,' Merlin thought, and if he was honest with himself, he thought it somewhat affectionately. Merlin had to shove his way to the front a couple times, insisting that he knew the way better, and secretly wanting to be in front in they did run into any unforeseen danger in the tunnels.

Merlin started hearing noises, like metal armor being jostled, and suddenly Arthur was at the rear of their party, holding up his hand for silence. Merlin quickly joined him and listened. There was a sound of boots grounding into rock; they were being followed.

"I thought you said you had lost them," Arthur said.

"I thought I had." Of course Agravain had gotten past Kilgharrah. If there was a chance for Merlin to look incompetent in front of Arthur, fate would take her opportunity.

"It won't take long for them to catch us," Tristan said.

"I'll go back."

"What are you going to do?" Arthur questioned.

"Create a diversion."

"It's too risky," Arthur argued.

"I know these tunnels, Agravain doesn't. You keep going."

"Merlin...don't do anything stupid," Arthur said.

"Me?" Merlin asked with a cheeky grin and disappeared down the tunnels. He noticed Arthur's concerned stare lingering in his direction. _'I swear, one of these days Arthur will realise I can bloody take care of myself.' _

He quickly found Agravain and his men as they had been closing in fast. Agravain saw him and gave chase, and Merlin led them away. Unfortunately, the only way in the opposite direction of Arthur was a dead end.

"Merlin!" Agravain called to him, and triumph filled his eyes as he saw they had Merlin trapped.

"Be careful," Merlin stared at the floor, knowing that if he looked at the man who had Gaius kidnapped and tortured, had ruined his attempt to heal Uther, making Arthur hate magic, and had betrayed them on countless occasions, he would be very tempted to kill him. Agravain was Arthur's uncle, and Merlin knew Arthur would want to deal with him personally, but his magic was sparking inside of him. He was barely keeping his strong emotions in check; one of the difficulties of being an instinctual magical being. Agravain had no idea of the danger he was in.

"What are you talking about. Where is Arthur? Tell me. Now... Or I'll have to kill you," Agravain said, full cocky arrogance in his voice. He had escaped the dragon, and now he was just facing a helpless serving boy.

"I don't think so," Merlin replied. Agravain and his men ran at Merlin, and he casually threw them back against the cave wall. They had underestimated him, again, and they had made the mistake of not just threatening him, but Arthur as well. Agravain was the only one that stirred.

"You have magic," Agravain said standing up

"I was born with it"

"So it was you! You're Emys!"

"That is what the druids call me," Merlin said, staring Agravain down.

"And you've been at court, all this time...at Arthur's side," Agravain chuckled. "How you have managed to deceive him. I'm impressed, Merlin. Perhaps we are more alike than you think," Agravain said with a smug grin, then reached out a hand of friendship.

Merlin put up a hand in warning. Agravain backed off, then lunged forward at him with a knife. Merlin lifted his other hand and flung Agravain like a rag doll down to the ground. He stared at Agravain's still form. _'I warned you to be careful._' Merlin looked at the dead bodies around him. '_At least Arthur wasn't around to see this_.'

"Merlin," Merlin heard Arthur, and he panicked. He ran straight out into the tunnel and straight into Arthur. "Where have you been?" Arthur asked. '_Did Arthur see or hear any of that?_' Merlin's heart that had not raced at all during his confrontation with Agravaine was beating like a drum now. He needed to distract Arthur, to make sure he didn't ask any questions so he asked the first thing he could think of.

"Were you worried about me?"

"No… I was making sure we weren't being followed," Arthur said defensively. Arthur was normally better at hiding any feelings for his servant, which meant he must have been really worried, which warmed Merlin's heart. He never quite knew where he stood with Arthur at any given time.

"You came back to look for me," Merlin said.

"All right it's true. I came back to look for you cause you are the only friend I have, and I couldn't bear to lose you,"

"Really?" '_Hah, he is obviously joking_.'

"Don't be stupid," Arthur said and turned quickly to walk away. '_Just what I thought_.' Arthur might have been joking, but his genuine concern warmed Merlin's heart. He still had nagging doubts that Arthur could have seen or heard something, but surely he would have said something if he had, and any concern on Arthur's part would have turned to disgust if he knew who, or what, Merlin really was.

* * *

Arthur sat against the tree in the Forest of Ascetir, Tristan's words about him not being anything special, and not being king anymore were harsh, but true. '_Do I deserve to be Camelot's king?'_

"Arthur, what's the matter?" Merlin asked sliding down beside him. Arthur ignored him. "Don't listen to Tristen, he doesn't know you.

"I trusted the wrong people," Arthur said, and the words he had overheard in the cave haunted him. He had only heard one thing his uncle had said, but it had been enough, Merlin hadn't denied it. The words replayed in his head, _'How you have managed to deceive him. I'm impressed, Merlin. Perhaps we are more alike than you think_.' Agravain had to have been talking about Merlin deceiving him, who else would Agravain be impressed with Merlin deceiving besides Arthur. He wanted to ask Merlin about it, but he didn't have the heart for that conversation right now, and did not know if he should believe what Merlin would say. He had trusted Merlin for years. He was sure Merlin wouldn't betray him, but he had been sure of the others as well.

"They betrayed you. That wasn't your fault." Merlin interrupted his disturbing thoughts. _'Is it my fault that you betrayed me, Merlin_' he thought, but banished those words from his lips.

"No, I was a fool. I misjudged everyone. My uncle, Morgana...Every decision I've made has been wrong."

"You are being too hard on yourself," Merlin argued.

"I should be more discerning, wise...a statesman, a king. Tristan is right, there is nothing special about me. I'm just like everyone else."

"You're not. You are a worthy king!"

"I'm good with a sword."

"Your people love you!"

"And most of them are dead, thanks to me."

"No, most of them escaped. They are in the forest. I'm sure of that."

"If they are, they will have to find themselves a new king," Arthur said with finality. Then he left Merlin to take over the watch and get some sleep.

Arthur was awoken by Merlin shaking him. He tried to groan and roll back over, but it did not work as well on the cold ground as it did in his nice comfy bed. Arthur finally opened his eyes and got up.

"This had better be good, Merlin! I don't have time for your ridiculous games" Arthur complained.

"Follow me, I have something to show you," Merlin said, and proceeded to tell him this children's story about a sword, that supposedly belonged to King Bruta, and could only be pulled from stone by his descendents and the true King of Camelot.

And then he saw it; the sword in the stone was the most beautiful thing he had ever beheld. He had only a moment to take it in before his knights and his people started showing up and making a semi-circle around the sword. '_What are they doing here? Was this Merlin's betrayal, to humiliate him in front of his people?'_

"What the hell are you playing at?" Arthur asked Merlin.

"You can draw it sire. You just have to have faith," Merlin replied. Arthur went up to the sword, and tried pulling it out, but it was firmly embedded in the rock. Nothing short of magic was going to get the sword to pull free from the rock it was stuck in. He glared back at Merlin, who just gave him one of his annoyingly encouraging looks. '_Have faith he says, oh that makes it easy…' _Arthur focus on all his hopes for Camelot, and focused on the king he wished to be, even if he was not there yet. He pulled, and it came out, the sun gleaming off the gold blade.

The crowd erupted in cheers, "Long live the king!"

* * *

They had made it to the throne room. It had been difficult, but they knew Camelot inside out, and Merlin had faith in Arthur's tactical abilities after seeing them succeed again and again. Morgana and Helios were waiting for them. Arthur and Morgana exchanged words, but Merlin was not paying much attention to them. Morgana hadn't tried to use magic yet, and he was anxious for her to attempt it. And then he heard his name.

"Not even the great Emrys can save you now," Morgana said. Merlin sucked in his breath, and Arthur glanced at him. _'Why did Arthur look at me. Surely, he doesn't know!_'

Morgana raised her hand attempting a spell, but it failed. Merlin smiled. _'This day is ours Morgana.'_ He raced after her, but by the time he found her, she was attacking Gwen. Wasting no time, he cast a spell, throwing her backwards into the rubble. When the dust cleared, to Merlin's disappointment, she was gone. Merlin turned and helped Gwen up, and they went back to the throne room, only to see Isolde dying in Tristan's arms. It made the victory seem hollow in some ways as he watched Tristan's pain, but in other ways it made victory seem that much more valuable. If Morgana was queen there would be no end to people's suffering.

* * *

Gwen was finally his Queen. When he looked at her now, he no longer felt the betrayal and bitterness. It had been replaced by love. What he was most worried about was his ability to trust her, but the past few months had taught him of his own weaknesses, and shown him that to be human is to make mistakes that must be learned from. He trusted Gwen with his life, and he trusted her with Camelot.

"Gwen, I hate to send you away so soon after we are together again, but Queen Annis insisted on meeting you, and I cannot get away at the moment," Athur said with an apologetic smile.

"I understand, Arthur. I really do. It just seems to me there is something else you aren't telling me. Something has clearly been on your mind," Gwen said. Arthur grimaced. He hated keeping things from Gwen, especially because she was very good at telling when he was keeping something back. _'If only I could tell her, but then she wouldn't leave.'_

"Honestly, it's Agravain's betrayal that's been bothering me. It makes me think, who else might be deceiving me that I don't know of."

"You can trust me Arthur. If you want me to stay for now, we can push back the trip to see Queen Annis." Gwen replied.

"No, no. I'll be fine. It will be good to have some time to process the events of the past week. We've been on the run so much, my thoughts are a whirlwind."

"If you are sure my love, then I will see you in a fortnight," Gwen said, reaching up and giving Arthur one final kiss before leaving his chambers.

Tomorrow he would confront Merlin, and he did not want Gwen around for the chaos and destruction this confrontation might bring. When Morgana had mentioned that the great Emrys couldn't protect them this time everything in his head had clicked into place, and now he just had to talk to Emrys. He was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get Merlin to talk.

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A/N: Chapter two already written and coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter 2! Sorry chapter one was a bit rushed. It was mainly setting things up, kind of like a prologue. This chapter gets more into the heart of the story and flows better. I have the first couple of chapters written so I will probably post those fairly quickly. I make no promises on the speed of writing after that, but I will try not to drag things along! Reviews encourage me that people are actually enjoying the story so thank you to anyone who takes the time to write one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

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Chapter 2

Merlin awoke to Gaius shaking his shoulder. He noticed he was back in his bed in camelot and that made him smile. To be home in his small room, with the familiar smell of potions wafting in, felt really good. His smile faded slightly when he saw Gaius's concerned look.

"Did I oversleep?" he asked.

"No, I'm not sure what is going on, but there is a guard at the door saying Arthur has sent for you," said Gaius. The fact that it was a guard was slightly concerning. If Arthur didn't have time to come get him himself, he would usually send a knight or another servant. '_Maybe a guard was the only other person around,_' he thought hopefully. Merlin quickly threw on his shirt and went to meet the guard, passing breakfast that Gaius had already laid out on the table. His stomach grumbled as the smell of it reached his nose. He mournfully kept walking. '_And Arthur wonders why I'm so skinny.' _

"Hurry up, the king doesn't have all day," the guard said, motioning Merlin to pick up his pace. Merlin vaguely recognized the guard, but he did not know him personally. He opened his mouth to make small talk a couple times, as he liked to stay on good terms with all the inhabitants of the castle, but rocks started to settle in his stomach as he thought of everything that could be wrong.

If there was something wrong with Arthur, he probably would have sent for Gaius. If he had been needed to saddle the horses or something like that a servant would have fetched him. Also, which was concerning, he had noticed Arthur covertly staring at him lately. But surely he would have acted sooner if he suspected him of sorcery. Had Arthur quietly been gathering evidence and witnesses against him? '_No way, Arthur isn't that good of an actor... Right?_' The only thing that was different today than yesterday was that Gwen had left at first light with some of the knights to visit Queen Annis. '_Maybe he had waited for that…_'

"We're here. Go on in," the guard said, and once he made sure Merlin had entered the chambers, he closed Arthur's door, turned on his heel, and left.

Merlin had hoped to find Arthur still lazing about in bed, having decided he needed his servant for some random task, but instead Arthur sat fully dressed at his desk. His hands were steepled in front of his face and his expression was serious. _'He looks like he's about to pass judgement_.' Merlin swallowed hard.

"Come here Merlin," the king commanded, and Merlin realised in that moment that he was still only one foot into the room. He walked over, very slowly at first, realised that looked suspicious, and leapt forward. Unfortunately he didn't see Arthur's chamber pot, which he promptly tripped over and fell on his face.

"Ouch," he said as he sat up and rubbed the bruise that he knew must be forming on his forehead. _'I swear Arthur moves his chamber pot in the night to make sure I trip on it in the morning,'_

"Merlin, now!" Arthur commanded again. Merlin winced at his forehead and Arthur's tone as he got up and stood in front of Arthur's desk. He stared hard at the desk, and noticed for the first time the intricately carved scrollwork around the edges. '_Kings do really get all the nice things. I wonder if someone had it commissioned for him or if it was spoils of war from one of Uther's battles.'_ Merlin knew his mind was skittering around to trivial things. It tended to do that when he was worried. Merlin also knew that Arthur was letting the silence go to put him on edge. He really should have come up with some witty comment to throw him off, but he hadn't eaten or drank anything this morning, and he was sure if he tried to say something it would just come out in an embarrassing squeak.

"Do you know why you are here Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I'm your servant. It's where I'm supposed to be right? It seems you have dressed yourself, but I know I'm not late. Gaius was still putting breakfast out when the guard came and I was woken up. So… I must be here because you need me for something else besides getting dressed," Merlin explained. It sounded lame, even to his ears.

"Yes Merlin, something else...there have been several events in the past several weeks that haven't added up, until recently," here Arthur paused again. Merlin felt beads of sweat forming on his head and hoped Arthur didn't notice.

"What finally made it all make sense for me was Morgana, oddly enough. Do you remember her comment about Emrys? Even Emrys couldn't save us this time," Arthur asked.

"I uhm, I, maybe I remember her saying something about an Emrys. But you don't know who this Emrys person is do you Arthur?" Merlin asked, starting to feel rather lightheaded.

"It is funny _you_ should ask me that, Merlin, but I'll get to that. I know everything. I know that I was enchanted to leave the castle when Morgana attacked, I heard you and Agravain in the caves, and Morgana gave me the final piece of the puzzle. The only one that could protect us from Morgana is a sorcerer, and Emrys is a sorcerer- the sorcerer who has been protecting us. Right Merlin?" Arthur asked.

At that Merlin started shaking and his breathing became labored. The panic was seeping into his very soul. He wished he would just pass out, and wake up to find this to be a nightmare. He had similar nightmares mirroring this situation quite frequently.

Arthur wasn't ready to accept him- he knew that! Not that long ago Arthur had declared that magic had killed both of his parents and that it was pure evil. _'This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening.'_

"Do you...hate me?" Merlin managed to whisper out. Then, "Is there a reason I'm not in the dungeons?" He hoped Arthur would ignore the first question and just answer the second. He didn't know if he could handle Arthur's response to the first.

Arthur finally stood up from behind his desk. He stared intently at Merlin as if weighing his worth. Merlin was tempted to run, but instead rushed to Arthur's side and knelt.

"Arthur, my king, everything that I have done, I have done it for you. Only for you. My loyalty is to no other," and as he said this he looked up, pleaded with Arthur to believe him. Arthur put his hand on Merlin's shoulder and leaned towards him.

"If that is true Merlin, you will tell me everything. You will leave out nothing; no matter how bad it makes you look." Merlin was nodding in agreement. "And there is one other thing you must do. You must bring me Emrys."

At this Merlin looked up sharply into Arthur's eyes, "Emrys?"

"Yes Merlin. I don't know what your relationship is with him exactly, and I know you believe he is working for the good of the kingdom, or you would not be helping him, but you must deliver him over to me," Arthur said, mistaking Merlin's expression for reluctance to betray Emrys. Merlin blinked rapidly.

"Can I have a moment Arthur?" Merlin whispered.

"You can have a moment, but I require this of you. If you are to prove yourself loyal to me, you will agree to this, and agree to no more lies. If I find you are continuing to lie to me, I will have you executed. I do not wish it, but I will do it for the good of the kingdom. I will not sanction another traitor in our midst.

Merlin was in shock. He wanted to be completely honest with Arthur, but he didn't know what Arthur really thought. He couldn't have heard all of his conversation with Agravain because Agravain had proclaimed Merlin was Emrys in the beginning of their conversation.

"It's Dragoon the Great isn't it? He is Emrys?" Arthur asked.

"Uhm, well, yes," Merlin replied. At the moment he was equally terrified of Arthur finding out the whole truth, and Arthur not finding out the truth now, and finding out later, and knowing that Merlin wasn't honest with him in this moment.

"Well, let's go to him then. I know you must know where to find him," Arthur said.

"You said before that I was to bring Emrys to you. Why don't I go fetch him for you?" Merlin offered, trying to buy himself time to think without Arthur looming over him. He was so hyper aware of everything he did and said around Arthur at the moment that he couldn't think straight. He also desperately wanted Gaius's advice.

"No, you will take me to him. Now."

"Aren't you worried about going to meet a sorcerer without, I don't know your knights or something?" Merlin asked.

"I have a feeling if the knights were present he wouldn't show, and if he does claim to be protecting Camelot, I want to give him a chance to be completely honest with me," Arthur said.

"But, you think magic is evil, surely you won't accept his help," Merlin said.

"I will discuss this with Emrys, Merlin. Now do as you are told, and let's go to the stables. Actually we should swing by the kitchens too on our way."

"You aren't letting me out of your sight. You don't trust me," Merlin said with obvious disappointment in his voice. '_You think he doesn't trust you now, wait until he knows you have magic._' Merlin's shoulders slumped further.

"Do you blame me after what you've done? After your lies?" Arthur asked, "you're really lucky I'm not throwing you straight in the dungeons."

"Isn't that just because you need me to show you to Emry?" Merlin asked despondently.

"Not only that," Arthur replied, "Merlin, it's not like _you_ enchanted me, but you did lie to me. I know you were convinced by the sorcerer that it was for the good of the kingdom, and he may have even have enchanted you to follow him more easily. So I am giving you a chance to be completely honest with me and make amends. Are you willing to do that?"

"Yes sire," Merlin said, trying not to imagine the pyre they would build to burn him when all this was done. After swinging by the kitchens, they headed to the barn. Merlin saddled their horses and handed Arthur the reins of his horse. Every act he did for Arthur was painful as he imagined it was possibly his last time being allowed to saddle his king's horse. '_Next I will feel sentimental about mucking out the stables. What is wrong with me.'_ Merlin got on his horse and saw Gaius across the courtyard looking at him. He nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. After all, Arthur would probably wait to kill him until they got back to Camelot, and he turned away to quickly follow Arthur.

"So, where is Emrys?" Arthur asked once they had left the city.

"We can find him where we found Dragoon the Great, in the forest of Glaestig. If we go back to the same hut, you can talk to him there."

"I had that hut searched and watched for a week after he killed my father. Are you sure we will find him there?" Arthur asked.

"You would not have found him there at that time, but you will find him there now." Merlin was dreading the ride to Glaestig. If they made it in silence, in theory Merlin would have time to think, but he doubted Arthur would let him off that easily.

"Merlin, you will tell me about Emrys. I will go into this meeting with some knowledge of who he is. And if you dare lie to me, you will regret it." '_And so the interrogation begins. Arthur really can be terrifying when he wants to be_.' Of course Merlin knew that part of his terror came from his love and devotion to Arthur. He was terrified of Arthur looking at him with fear and hatred. Terrified he would have him killed, but also terrified he would only speak to him in disgust, believing he really was some monster to be dealt with. Merlin realised it was getting on towards noon and he still hadn't eaten, but was afraid he would just throw up anything he tried to eat. Arthur would probably be ready for lunch soon, and maybe he would feel better by then.

"Emrys, as you know, has many names. The druids are the ones who call him Emrys. They have prophecies about him, and regard him with respect."

"What are the prophecies?" Arthur asked. Merlin almost replied he didn't know the details, but that wasn't true, and he was determined to not lie to Arthur if he could help it.

"I'm not sure I know all the druid prophecies, but they all refer to him as Emrys, and have helped him on many occasions. I'm pretty sure they think he will help the Once and Future King unite Albion and bring peace between the old world and new, creating a place where all people can find justice."

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked, "peace between the old world and new?"

"I'm not positive, but my understanding is… that the old world is one of magic. I don't think it means bringing back the Old Religion as it was before, but creating something new where people with magic and people without can live in peace. That has always been Emrys's hope at least."

"Merlin, I've heard you refer to me as the Once and Future King. Do you think I'm this person the Druids say Emrys is destined to help?" Arthur asked. It was getting harder and harder for him to separate his and Emrys's beliefs. Of course they were the same person, but Merlin had hoped he could somehow imply they were different people.

"Yes," was all he said, but that seemed to satisfy Arthur, for now at least.

"Is that why you trust Emrys, because of this prophecy that says he will help me?" Well this was a tricky question. '_How do I answer why I trust myself?_'

"I...well, I have seen Emrys save your life, and I know he feels loyalty to you. He has faith in you, and he believes you are destined to be a great king."

"And how do you know he just doesn't want to use me? You can never trust a sorcerer Merlin! You should know this by now. They only crave power- that is why they study magic. If Emrys thinks I am destined to be a great king, attaching himself to me, putting me in his debt, or getting close enough to me to control me is probably his motive."

"You are wrong!" Merlin said. He wanted to scream out a thousand arguments, but knew he couldn't without giving himself away, which might happen anyway, but he would not do it to defend himself, that was a promise he had made long ago.

"I know you believe that Merlin. That is why you helped him, but I'm telling you that you cannot trust a sorcerer. They weave lies into the truth like a master weaver. Do you remember how sincere Morgana seemed in her love for my father and I? It was all lies, and we believed it. I don't know if she used magic to deceive us or was just a master of deceit, either way, it seems to be a trait of all sorcerers. And lets not forget Morgause, who showed me a shade of my mother, who wasn't actually my mother. She mixed truth with lies, and I believed her, and almost killed my father." Merlin hated this conversation.

"Is there anything else they say about him? Do not hold back anything Merlin."

"They say… they say he is the most powerful sorcerer to have ever walked the earth." Merlin had really hoped to not have to mention that part.

"What! Don't you think you should have mentioned that earlier Merlin! Isn't that somewhat relevant to know that I'm meeting with a sorcerer that is more powerful than Morgana!"

"Well, I don't think he is as powerful as he is going to be," Merlin stammered, "And that makes him a valued ally right?"

"Merlin, you are a complete idiot." Merlin really, really, hated this conversation.

"Shall I get out some food for you sire? We are getting close to the hut so now might be the best time for you to eat." Merlin said, trying to distract Arthur.

"Yes, we can stop here, while you get out some turkey legs and bread. Then let's eat as we ride… and continue to talk," Arthur said, giving Merlin a pointed look. Merlin did as instructed, but only took a small piece of bread out for himself, and handed Arthur a large turkey leg. "Is that really all you are going to eat? I saw what we got from the kitchen, and there is plenty of food."

"I'm not hungry," Merlin replied.

"Haven't you not eaten all morning?"

"Yes."

"Seriously Merlin! No wonder you are so skinny."

"Well if you hadn't sent a guard to drag me out of bed so early, I would have at least eaten breakfast. So I don't see that it's all my fault!" Merlin replied with some anger coming through that he had not intended. This situation was making his so nauseous and on edge. He just felt like falling off his horse, curling up in a ball of leaves, and dying.

"Merlin, I am very disappointed in you for not telling me any of this, but if you swear to me that you will never lie to me again, and not keep secrets from me, we can forget about this. Like I said before, I know how sorcerers can fool the best of us. I don't know why you are acting like a scared puppy. I'm not going to execute you. I'm not even going to banish you if you are honest with me," Arthur said with a reassuring smile. _'Can I get that in writing?…that may be true for Merlin, but not Emrys'_

"What do you plan on doing with Emrys?" Merlin asked.

"Is that what you are so worried about? I'm not sure yet of the best way to deal with him, but you should not concern yourself with him. He may seem to be your friend, but he is not." Merlin looked down at the bread he was holding, then tossed it over his shoulder. Could this day get any worse? Merlin just needed Morgana to be waiting for them in the hut, _'Oh, I heard the great Emrys is revealing his true identity, and I figured I'd bring a snack and enjoy watching Arthur kill you, and then I'll finish him off with this pet magical beast I brought._' Yes, that was the kind of day he was having. And before Merlin knew it, they were approaching the cabin.

"Merlin, this time you are coming with me inside the hut," Arthur said. They dismounted and entered the abandoned looking structure. Arthur noticed the broken pottery still on the floor where he had left it. "Merlin, there is no way Dragoon could be here. This cabin is completely deserted, and it hasn't changed a bit since the last time I was here," he said, pointing to the broken pottery.

"Honestly Arthur, this isn't where he lives. He just meets people here," Merlin said.

"Oh, and does he have some magical sensor to know when people are here? Or are we going to be waiting here for weeks?" Arthur asked, starting to become annoyed at his servant for not mentioning this fact before. Merlin had been trying to figure out how to do this part without deceiving Arthur, but he just couldn't think of a way to do it. '_Maybe if I'd had breakfast, my brain would be working better.'_ He felt completely torn still on whether to just tell Arthur everything there on the spot or to turn into Dragoon the Great first. He finally decided on the latter, if only to buy himself a little more time.

"I can go out and signal for him to come," Merlin said. Arthur glared at him.

"I am not letting you out of my sight until I meet with Emrys!"

"If he sees you sire, he will not come. I must go alone. But I promise you that I will go and get him," Merlin said, looking at Arthur, and willing him to believe what he was saying. There was a long pause.

"Fine, but you must come back as well," Arthur said.

"I will come back," Merlin said. '_Eventually._' With a nod of approval from Arthur, Merlin left and went behind the largest tree next to the hut. Finishing the incantation, he gave himself a moment to adjust to his aged body.

* * *

Upon seeing Dragoon the Great enter the hut alone, Arthur jumped up from the table.

"Where is Merlin?" Arthur demanded. If Emrys thought he could use Merlin as leverage, he was mistaken.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left a review! I have the next chapter fully written as well so I'll post it sometime this week. Chapter 5 I'm having a harder time writing, and it will be a busy week for me so I make no promises, but I hope to have it up the following week!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (I'm not even British, boo...).

* * *

Chapter 3

"Where is Merlin?" Arthur repeated himself, stepping toward the most powerful sorcerer in the world, in what he hoped was a threatening way. '_It works on bandits at least, but Morgana never seemed particularly intimidated._'

"He will be returned to you momentarily," Dragoon said, ignoring Arthur's threatening stance, and walking around him to sit at the small wooden table.

"Dragoon, you are the one known as Emrys?" Arthur asked, putting his hand on his sword.

"That is what the Druids call me, but I have many names."

"Well then Emrys, I will not talk to you until you bring Merlin here," Arthur said defiantly.

"Arthur, he will not be harmed. Can we at least start out talking civilly? Perhaps you could take your death grip off your sword, and join me at the table, hmm?"

"I do not trust you Emrys, but I am willing to be civil if you are" Arthur said, and went over and sat down at the table.

"That's better. I mean Merlin no harm, I mean you no harm, and I mean Camelot no harm. In fact, I have been protecting all three for quite some time," Emrys said. Arthur wanted to keep arguing for Emrys to bring back Merlin, but he had a more pressing question.

"Why?"

"There are many reasons Arthur, but none of them to ultimately bring you harm. I only wish you success. One reason is that we cannot allow Morgana to win. She has great evil in her heart, and has used magic for personal gain and power. It has corrupted her."

"Funny you should talk of magic and power corrupting. You just want Morgana out of the way because she challenges your power, does she not?"

"I do not wish to rule Arthur Pendragon. That is your destiny." Arthur was not buying Emrys's lofty words for a minute, but he did not know how to catch him in a lie. He needed Merlin back. He had a feeling that seeing how Emrys treated Merlin might be illuminating.

"Alright, I've been civil. You must return the favor now, and bring me my servant."

"Must I?" Asked Emrys raising an eyebrow, but instead of looking confident like Arthur would expect, he looked worried.

"If you expect me to start to trust you, then yes, you must," Arthur said.

* * *

Merlin, Dragoon, and/or Emrys, depending on your perspective, stood up and started pacing. He did not even know how to think of himself at the moment. He knew the smart thing to do would be to say he would go get Merlin, then to 'get Merlin,' and say Emrys had left. The problem with that solution would be that if Emrys left now, Arthur would never trust him, and if he kept switching back and forth even Arthur would figure it out eventually. There was also the fact that what he was doing now, if not a direct lie, was still deceiving Arthur. All of this left him one choice; one choice that terrified him.

"Arthur," Merlin began and he knew his voice was trembling, "I haven't been lying to you, but I have still been deceiving you, and I know it must stop now. I… I have continued in it for this long because… because... I can't stand the thought of you hating me, and because it is my destiny to protect you, and I think it is highly likely you won't let me protect you after this!" Arthur was looking at him with a slightly confused and wary expression. Merlin sat back down and took out his de-aging potion and set it on the table.

"You see Arthur, this is not my true face. I am using an aging spell. I first used it when Morgana put a magical poultice under your pillow so that Gwen would be blamed for enchanting you. I could not let Gwen be executed, but I knew if I accused Morgana no one would believe me so I provided another sorcerer for Uther to condemn. Aging spells are difficult, but I thought I could just change myself back. It turns out that I could not without a potion, so I made this one. Once I had the potion, I could turn into Dragoon the Great, and then change back to my normal self."

Arthur was looking at him like he had grown two heads, which wasn't that far off from the truth. Merlin desperately hoped that Arthur would believe him, and would not think it was some trick. He was trying to mentally prepare Arthur for the truth, but was not sure if it was working.

"That is why you think I look so familiar in this form... because I am. If you look at my eyes long enough, you might be able to tell who I am," and with that he steadily met Arthur's gaze.

"This is crazy! You are telling me that you are actually someone I know? Someone who lives in Camelot? If you take some potion to change into a friend, do not think for a second that I will actually believe you." '_This is not going well. Why didn't I just tell him the truth from the beginning?_' Merlin had been worried about this reaction, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. He got up and started pacing again, to which his aching bones complained.

"When I go to tell you the truth, to be completely honest with you, and expose myself, you say you won't believe me. Do you know how frustrating this is!" Merlin said, grabbing at his grey hair and pulling in frustration.

"If you have been lying to me for years, maybe you shouldn't be so surprised when I don't believe you!" Arthur yelled back. Merlin looked at Arthur guiltily.

"I am going to take the potion Arthur, and the aging spell will wear off. What you choose to believe is up to you, but you asked me to stop lying to you. You said… I know you will not trust me at first, but all I beg of you is to give me a chance. To let me explain at least," Merlin pleaded. Arthur was still looking at him very distrustfully.

Merlin sat down. He drank the potion. Slowly he felt himself begin to change, and after a minute he looked at his hands and touched his face, confirming that he was back to his young self. He didn't want to look at Arthur, but he finally brought his eyes up from the table and looked his king in the face, and Arthur started laughing.

"You expect me to believe that Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth? You would have done better to pick another of my acquaintances. You obviously do not know Merlin very well. _You_ Emrys are not Merlin. I knew you would try to deceive me, but this is ridiculous."

"Arthur," Merlin said, "Have you not wondered why I was never in the same room with Dragoon the Great? I snuck off to change into him while you were in the hut! I couldn't be in the same room with him because he is me! That is why when I was Dragoon the Great, I could not ride back to Camelot with you. Look at my eyes Arthur- they are the same! Dragoon is just an eighty year old version of me."

"I admit Emrys, this is a better deception than I first thought, but I am still not fooled. Are you saying Merlin wanted to kill my father?" Arthur asked.

"Arthur, I am Merlin. And no… killing your father was not my intention. I wanted to heal him, and I wanted you to see that magic could be used for good, but Agravain got there first. He put a charm around Uther's neck that Morgana had enchanted to reverse the effects of any magic performed on him. You saw the healing spell was working at first! Then the pendent reversed it, and killed him. You promised to make magic legal, why would I sabotage that?" Merlin stared at Arthur, willing him to believe he was being sincere.

"Your hatred of Uther," Arthur replied, but he seemed less sure on that point. "Even if I do believe you meant my father no harm, it is still far fetched that you would disguise yourself as a servant. Isn't that beneath you as a powerful sorcerer?"

"Arthur, I was destined to serve you. Doesn't the greatest king Albion has ever known, deserve the greatest sorcerer at his side? And...well… ok, I'm not exactly at your side, and I'm ok with that… I mean, I just want to protect you Arthur. I believe in the kingdom you are creating…," Merlin finished lamely. Surprisingly Merlin's bumbling seemed to convince Arthur more than any of his words had. Something seemed to dawn on him.

"Is Merlin all an act then, Emrys?" Arthur asked. Merlin's mouth dropped open. He hadn't considered that Arthur might think his real identity was an act. If Arthur started believing Emrys was only acting like a clumsy servant to fool him, he would never trust him.

"I...no! I'm Merlin, that is what my mother named me. I don't put on an act for you Arthur. I just hide the fact that I have magic, which usually means only using it when you aren't looking. Thankfully in battle you are normally distracted…" Merlin replied sheepishly. "I only use magic for you Arthur, only to defend you and Camelot. I don't use it for myself or for personal gain. I'm not trying to control how you run your kingdom... And I only use magic for my chores if I don't have time to finish them, and I usually don't have time to finish them if I have been up all night saving Camelot from some magical attack!" Merlin realised he was just spouting off whatever popped into his head, and that was probably a bad idea.

"And that happens frequently?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, somewhat frequently. Uther made many enemies in the magical community, and many people fear you are the same as your father. They attack out of self-defence; they feel that if they don't kill you, they will one day end up on the pyre. Also some sorcerers are just power hungry and see Camelot as an easy target since magic is outlawed."

"I see," Arthur said with an unreadable expression. Merlin could normally read Arthur pretty well, but Merlin was realising that in part his ability was due to the fact that Arthur had trusted Merlin and had let his guard down around him. Now his walls were up.

"I was never at the tavern!" Merlin blurted out. _'Why am I bringing that up now? I'm such an idiot.'_ On one level he knew it was because not knowing Arthur's thoughts was making him incredibly nervous. '_What is there to be nervous about? I am obviously getting hung... if I'm lucky.'_

"Merlin," Arthur said interrupting his panic.

"Yes?" And for some reason Arthur saying his real name broke through his final emotional barrier and he started to cry. He wiped the tears away viciously with his sleeve, but the traitorous flow wasn't ceasing. _'There has to be a spell for stopping tears. I really should learn that. They say crying is healthy, but there is a time and a place for it, and that time isn't now!_' Merlin realised he was getting hysterical again. "Sorry, Sorry, Arthur," he mumbled, trying again to wipe away the tears.

"Merlin, come with me. I am taking you to Camelot immediately," Arthur said standing, then walked towards the door. Merlin stood, and started to follow, then stopped.

"Sire, what are you going to do with me?" Merlin asked.

"You will see. Come," Arthur commanded. Merlin followed Arthur out of the hut, got on his horse, and after taking one longing look towards the woods, followed Arthur to his fate.

* * *

Arthur glanced over at Merlin who was rigidly riding his horse a few paces behind Arthur. He was obviously very tense. He had expected Merlin to ride off once he was on his horse. Arthur had hunted enough animals to recognise a fight or flight expression, but Merlin had just obediently followed Arthur. This told Arthur something; Merlin was committed to seeing this through, whatever the outcome.

Taking his eyes off Merlin, Arthur tried to sort through his competing thoughts. Did he believe Emrys was Merlin? He admitted to himself that he was starting to believe it. It made so many things about Merlin make sense! On the other hand, it made Merlin a greater mystery than he had ever imagined, and if it was true, he was angry. He was _very_ angry at his servant for lying to him, and for continuing to lie to him by changing into Dragoon again in the hut. There was still a chance though that Emrys was deceiving him, and he wasn't Merlin, and the real Merlin was holed up in some cave somewhere. Sorcerers were master deceivers, and he had been so wrong about both Morgana and Agravain. Morgana, he had grown up with so he should have seen the signs. With Agravain, he had just been betrayed by Morgana so he should have been more cautious in who he trusted.

"If you really are just Emrys, and have hidden an innocent Merlin in a cave somewhere, you will rue the day you were born," Arthur suddenly said, breaking their silence.

"You are mad at me for having magic, but apparently, you'll be even more furious with me if I'm not me, and I hid me in a cave. There is no way to make you happy…" Merlin complained rather petulantly. This was what had convinced Arthur the most that Emrys really was Merlin. Arthur had never met anyone that could be as snarky and petulant as Merlin. Emrys could be doing some complicated mimicking magic, thing, but Arthur was more and more convinced that it actually was Merlin he was talking to.

The other question that needed his immediate attention was what to do with Merlin. He had left the hut, knowing it would give Arthur back the upper hand, and he had implied to Merlin that he knew what he would do with him. If he was honest though, he had not made up his mind yet. It made the most sense to put him in a cell and continue questioning him, and while Arthur throwing his servant in the cells for a day or two would only raise a couple eyebrows, if he kept him there for longer, people would talk.

Would talking with the sorcerer get him anywhere? Arthur was beyond furious at Merlin for deceiving him, and did not know if he could ever trust him again, but if he was honest with himself, he didn't want to execute him. '_Exile then_?' It seemed like a bad idea to let a sorcerer with so many of Camelot's secrets free to spill them to whoever he chose, or what if he was captured by Morgana and tortured for information? Even powerful sorcerers must have weaknesses. All these worries danced around in his head, giving him a significant headache by the time they reached Camelot. As they entered the walls of his beloved city, he knew he had to decide what to do with Merlin, and he had to decide now. '_Maybe leaving the hut was a bad idea.'_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you again to everyone who has left a review! It means a lot to know someone is actually reading this! I haven't written fan fiction in a really long time, and I apologize for the spelling and grammar errors- I noticed a couple when I re-read my past chapters. I always read through the chapters multiple (like 10, lol) times before posting, but my brain just gets so used to the story, and it overlooks my mistakes. Sorry!

Will Arthur ever trust Emrys? The saga continues. ;) Chapter 5 is halfway written, and I'm still hoping to finish it and post it next week!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

* * *

Chapter 4

Merlin felt the walls of Camelot closing in on him as they approached the castle. He assumed Arthur would take him straight to the cells, but after that he wasn't sure. Would Arthur just leave him there, indefinitely? Only coming to visit him when he had questions, and maybe letting Merlin leave the cells if they were attacked?

The other options were execution or exile. He really wanted to believe Arthur wouldn't execute him, but exile was a dangerous option for Arthur as well. If he didn't fully trust Merlin, sending him away with everything he knew of Camelot was a poor tactical decision. Arthur didn't make poor tactical decisions.

He found his heart beating faster again. Arthur went to the stables with him, and waited while he unsaddled the horses. He started to feel numb, and blindly followed Arthur as they entered the castle. '_Think of something, come on. How come I have nothing wise or brilliant to say to Arthur now? Aren't I supposed to be this wise sorcerer? I'm the other half of the coin to Arthur. Why am I failing so badly!'_ He tried hard to think, but his mind was just a blank. He couldn't seem to hold onto any thought for long. The lack of food all day and the panic he was feeling was paralysing him- mentally and physically.

Arthur stopped and Merlin looked up to see where they were. _'We're in Arthur's chambers. Why?'_

* * *

"Why aren't we in the dungeons?" Merlin asked confused. Arthur decided he could not make a clear decision until he rid himself of his headache, which meant a bath and dinner. He was also trying very hard not be be concerned about Merlin. He knew Merlin had not eaten all day, and he seemed very worried. '_Why the greatest sorcerer in the world is worried, I have no idea_.' It's not like Arthur could really do anything to the great Emrys if he didn't let him. And although he was furious at Merlin, and did not trust him, it was hard to suddenly stop caring about him completely. So a part of him felt bad for Merlin who was swaying on his feet, even if he did deserve it and more for betraying him.

"Draw me a bath Merlin," Arthur said. Merlin looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"You want me to draw you a bath? That means I have to leave, and bring the tub here and heat the water…"

"Yes Merlin, I am aware of how to draw a bath."

"And you are ok with that?" Merlin asked, still looking confused.

"Obviously! Now hop to it!" Arthur said. Merlin blinked at him twice, then turned and left the room. Arthur flopped back on his bed with a sigh, and kicked his boots off. He tried to close his eyes and relax, but all the tension from the day had built up, and he needed the hot water to help his muscles unwind. He did not have that long to think, as Merlin came back in, dragging in the bath supplies in record time, and when he saw Arthur on the bed he seemed to relax a little. Arthur cracked open one eye and watched him as he started filling the tub with water. When it was mostly full, Arthur got up to walk behind his screen and undress into his bathrobe. As he walked behind the screen, he noticed Merlin open his mouth and close it several times, looking like a guppy.

"What is it Merlin?" Arthur asked from behind the screen.

"Nothing!" Merlin quickly replied, causing Arthur to look at him skeptically. It obviously wasn't nothing, but he would ignore it for now. He slipped into the hot water and felt the tension being leached away. He noticed the temperature was not quite right though. It was slightly colder than he liked it. Merlin was always giving him a hard time for wanting it hot enough to burn him. Then he realised that Merlin must usually use magic to get the temperature right. That must have been what Merlin was stuttering about earlier, but he wasn't going to ask him to heat it now. The water was hot enough.

"So am I getting thrown in the dungeon after your bath?" Merlin asked in a somewhat lighthearted manner, but was given away by the constant shifting of his feet, and his eyes not meeting Arthur's eyes.

"Merlin, go fetch some dinner," Arthur replied. Merlin disappeared immediately. The cook would be expecting Merlin so he should be back quickly. '_What am I going to do with Merlin?_' His servant had saved his life several times that he knew of, and he guessed several more that he didn't know of. He just could not bring himself to execute someone who had saved himself and Camelot, even if it was for some nefarious ulterior motive.

He wanted to stay in the tub for longer, but it was putting him to sleep so he got out, dried off with the towel Merlin had put by the tub, and put on his night clothes that were next to the towel. When he pulled the shirt over his head, he saw that Merlin had entered and was finishing setting the table. Arthur walked over and noticed there was one place setting and Merlin was hovering a couple feet back from the table.

"Sit Merlin," Arthur commanded, gesturing to the seat next to him as he sat down. Merlin sat quickly, but just stared at the table, and didn't start eating. '_Do I need to tell him everything.'_

"Eat!" Arthur commanded, handing him some bread and cheese, "You've only had a couple crumbs of bread all day." Merlin stared at the food, and nibbled at it some. Arthur passed Merlin his water as well.

"Merlin, would you stop acting like I'm about to have you executed! It's making_ me_ edgy how fidgety you are."

"Oh! You aren't... you aren't going to have me burned on the pyre?" Merlin croaked out, trying to make it a joke.

"I'm not even going to have you hanged," Arthur replied, trying to match Merlin's lighter tone.

* * *

"Then… you will exile me?" Merlin asked.

"I considered it, but with all that you know that doesn't seem wise," Arthur replied.

"So… you'll confine me to the dungeons? I honestly don't understand why I'm not there now." That was part of what was driving Merlin crazy. If he knew what his fate was to be, he could face it. The not knowing what Arthur intended was driving him mad. '_Maybe that is the point. Maybe Arthur is just torturing me by not telling me. I guess it could be worse. He could have me strung up in the dungeons carving the word sorcerer into my back with a knife.' _Merlin chuckled a little insanely under his breath at that morbid thought.

"Can I confine you to the dungeons? It must be easy for you to leave them if you wanted to," Arthur replied, his face unreadable again.

"Is that why I'm not there now?" Merlin asked quietly.

"Answer my question Emrys," Arthur said, and the use of Emrys stung. It shouldn't have. Emrys was a name he went by, but he knew Arthur used it on purpose here because they both knew the sorcerer Emrys could not be held in Camelot's prisons.

"Sire, if you command me to go to the dungeons, I will go there. I won't flee," Merlin finally replied. He had hoped something of their friendship remained, and that is what was keeping Arthur from torturing information from him in the dungeons. It sounded, however, like Arthur just doubted he would stay there.

"I don't think you will flee. You have had plenty of opportunities for that. I do think you are determined to influence me in the direction you want Camelot to go, and that would be hard to do if you are in the dungeons. So I imagine you would leave whenever you felt it was necessary. Which reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask you. How many times have you enchanted me to do your will? I know of the one time so don't try to deny it." Arthur said.

The way Arthur had asked it, and what he was implying made Merlin feel physically sick again. He pushed away the bread and cheese. Merlin was not some warlock mastermind that wanted Arthur under his command. He could have joined Cornelius Sigan if all he wanted was more power. The thought of using his magic to control Arthur to do his will was so abhorrent; he would rather cut off his own arm. '_Arthur believes I would do that, enslave him to my will,_' he realised and started crying again. This was ridiculous. If Arthur ever considered him a friend again, he would never hear the end of what a complete wimp he was being.

"Only once," Merlin replied, doing everything in his power to stop his tears. '_Why on earth haven't I learned a spell to stop crying_,' he thought for the second time that day.

"Why did you enchant me when my castle was under attack?" Arthur asked. Merlin could tell the answer to this question would be important to Arthur so he tried to control his emotions and collect his thoughts.

"You were wounded, and the castle was already taken by Morgana and Helios. There was nothing to do about that by the time we arrived. I would have had Gaius give you a sleeping draught, in fact I asked for one, but all of Gaius's supplies were in his chambers that we didn't have access to. I could have knocked you over the head, but I didn't want to injure you more, and I couldn't carry you. We needed the knights to fight our way out, so they couldn't carry you either. I really needed you awake and willing if we were to get you out alive. Arthur, please believe me, I would never force you to do something against your will. If someday you want to take a stand and die defending your castle, I will stand with you, and die at your side. But this was different- you were wounded, you had just found out about Agravain's betrayal, and you were in shock. You weren't thinking clearly, and if in that state you had decided to stay and fight, all of us, including all your knights would have stayed and fought with you. We would all be dead, and Morgana would have won. If I had time to explain the situation to you once you had gotten over your shock, you would have agreed with me. I didn't have time. I didn't know if enchanting you would work or what the effects would be, as I'd never done it before, but I was desperate to save you. If you think it was the wrong decision, I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate." Merlin bowed his head and awaited his king's judgement.

"You make it sound so reasonable, but Merlin, I will not have you making decisions for me. I understand why you did what you did in that situation. I'm not saying it was the right decision, but I understand why you did it. In the future, you will not be knocking me over the head with a log, or enchanting me, in some misguided attempt to protect me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sire." Merlin replied. Arthur had taken that better than he expected. Maybe there was hope for their friendship. Merlin noticed that Arthur was done eating.

"Would you like me to go to the dungeons now sire?"

"You keep asking about the dungeons. I know you've spent the night there before. Anxious to get back? The cells comfier than they look?" Arthur asked with a smirk. Merlin smiled slightly. It was the first time time Arthur was joking with him again.

"No, but I said I'd stay there willingly, and I hope I reassured you that I'm not breaking out to enchant you anytime soon… so, yeah," he finished lamely.

"Merlin, I'm not executing you, I'm not exiling you, and I'm not throwing you in the dungeons," Arthur said with a tinge of exasperation in his voice. Merlin was having a hard time believing him.

"Not even for one night? On principle? I did lie to you, and you think I'm some evil manipulative sorcerer now so… I can't be free right? I mean I'm not an evil sorcerer, and I'm really not that manipulative. I can't even convince you to ever give me a day off so you really can't think I'm that good at manipulating people right?"

"Ah, but do you really want a day off? You want to be by my side so nothing happens to me. So your vision of the future is realised," Arthur argued. This made Merlin angry. Yes, there was some truth in what he said, but that wasn't the real reason.

"Listen, you prat, the reason why I slave away and give my every waking hour to your service isn't just because it is my destiny, and it isn't just because I have faith in who you will become. In the beginning, I didn't like you very much, but after a while I saw it as my destiny to protect you, but now it's about more than that. Now I would do anything for you, not only because I believe you will be the greatest king Albion has ever know, but because you are my best friend, and the thought of losing you tears me apart. I save you from magical beings and attacks on a regular basis, knowing that every time I use magic to protect you, someone could see and I could be executed, but I use my magic for you Arthur. Only for my king and best friend. Magic corrupts when it is used for power and self gain. I have seen it first hand, and I would never use my magic in that way, but it can also be used as a force for good." Merlin couldn't tell if Arthur was affected by his passionate speech. He knew Arthur was having a hard time believing his actions were out of friendship.

"How long have you been a sorcerer? Did you learn magic before you came to Camelot or after?" Arthur asked. Apparently he wasn't done with his interrogation for the evening. All Merlin wanted to do was lay down at this point, and not have to answer more questions. Really a night in the quiet dungeons by himself wouldn't be comfortable, but it wouldn't be that bad at this point.

"You don't understand Arthur. I am a warlock- I was born with magic. I am a magical creature as much as a unicorn is a magical creature. I could levitate objects before I could talk. Using magic for me has always been as easy and natural as breathing. That is why living in Camelot, and hiding my magic has been so difficult. And I'm tired, really tired, and my head is spinning from your questions. Can I go to bed now? Somewhere? Anywhere?" Merlin pleaded.

"Alright Merlin, this is what is going to happen. You are to go straight to Gaius's chambers and go to sleep. You will wake in the morning and eat a large breakfast to make up for your paltry attempts at eating today. Then you will come to my chambers and you and I will behave as we normally do, especially when anyone else is present. If I have any reason to doubt what you have told me so far is true, or if you deceive me again, I will execute you. It would pain me to do so, but I must put the kingdom first, and I will not let Camelot suffer as it did when Morgana and Agravain betrayed us. As far as consequences for your actions, we will discuss those later, but for now the consequence that I believe you already have realised is that you have lost my trust, and you have lost my friendship. You can try to earn them back, but I will promise you nothing. You may go now Merlin," Arthur said.

Merlin supposed he should be feeling jubilant at Arthur's leniency, but he knew the knife's edge he walked. One wrong move, and the thin thread of trust that still existed between them would be cut, and there would be no second chances. He knew that if Arthur did not trust him on some level, or if none of their friendship remained, he would not be free at this point, but he also knew Arthur was furious with him, and after Morgana and Agraivain, afraid to trust, and even more afraid to trust someone with magic. He turned to leave for Gaius's chambers, and thought with relief how he would finally be able to crash onto his bed, when an exhausted and frantic looking Elyan burst through Arthur's doors.

"Sire, we were attacked. There were snakes, unnaturally large snakes, that attacked the horses. Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival were bitten," Elyan said.

"And Guinevere?" Arthur asked running to Elyan's side and gripping his shoulder. Merlin started to get one of his bad feelings.

"I'm sorry, sire. We were separated. When the snakes attacked the knights, we fought them off so Gwen could get away, but when we called to her later, she didn't answer, and we needed to get Gwaine and Percival back. The snakes were poisonous," Elyan said gravely. '_It can't be Morgana. She can't have recovered already.' _

"I assume that the knights are with Gaius now?" Arthur asked. At Elyan's nod, Arthur took off to check on his knights, only briefly glancing behind him to make sure Merlin was following him. _'Of course I'm following you Arthur, what else would I be doing? And I care about Gwaine and Percival too… not to mention Gwen. I just hope she's all right'_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Again, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I found it a bit hard to write. I couldn't decide how much to stick to cannon, and how much to just go my own way, especially in regards to timeline, and what characters I wanted to include in this story. Also, chapter 6 might take awhile to post as I don't have much of it written yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

* * *

Chapter 5

Arthur strode into Gaius's chambers, quickly walking over to Gwaine and Percival's bedside. Gaius was busy examining them, but they looked pale and weak. '_They look in bad shape.'_ The knight's eyes were closed, they were covered in sweat; their breathing was shallow and labored. Arthur's worry for them spiked.

"Gaius, how are they?" Arthur quietly asked. Gaius looked up, spared a quick relieved look at seeing Merlin, then looked at Arthur gravely.

"They are not well sire. Poison flows in them, and if we don't get them an antidote tonight, they will die," Gaius replied as he grabbed a book on the table. "Now Elyan, are either of these snakes the ones you saw? These are the only ones I could find that matched your description" Gaius asked pointing at two large green serpents. Elyan studied the pictures closely, and pointed to one of them.

"This one, I'm sure. It had identical yellow stripes," Elyan said.

"Well, at least we have it identified, and I know the ingredients I need. I have most on hand, but Merlin I need you to go and fetch me some pennywort. Merlin jumped into action, heading to the door. When he got there, he looked back at Arthur, seeking permission. Arthur nodded, giving it to him.

Arthur wondered how long it would take Merlin to find the herb. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to leave and find Gwen's trail before it got cold, but his duty required him to stay until he knew his knights were all right, and looking for tracks in the middle of the night was a pointless task. He was also hoping when they woke, they would be able to shed some light on the attack. Perhaps they have seen something that Eylan had missed. Gaius was collecting herbs from his shelves and gathering the supplies he would need to make the antidote. Arthur sat down to wait next to Elyan, his thoughts consumed by worry for Gwen.

Merlin ran back through the door about twenty minutes later, looking like he had run the whole way. He handed Gaius what Arthur presumed was the pennywort. Gaius took it and added it to the mix of ingredients he was stirring together. Arthur looked at Merlin who was standing uselessly by Gaius.

"Elyan, go get some rest. You are exhausted and I want you to ride with me at first light to find Gwen. We will let you know if Gwaine and Percival's condition worsens," Arthur said.

"I will go sire, but you should rest as well. I'm sure Gaius can handle it with Merlin's help, and you need your strength for the journey ahead," Elyan replied.

"I will shortly Elyan," Arthur said. With that Elyan could tell he was dismissed and left Gaius's chambers, leaving Gaius, Merlin, and Arthur alone with the stricken knights.

"Sire, Elyan is right. You can't do anything to help at this point. You should get some rest," Gaius said.

"I will Gaius, but I have some questions for Merlin first," Arthur said. Merlin looked at Gaius apologetically and anticipated Arthur's first question.

"I can't just heal them Arthur. My healing magic isn't that great, and Gaius is a very skilled physician. I'm sure his antidote will work." Gaius opened his mouth in shock, as he realised Arthur must have found out about Merlin's magic, and that is why they had been gone all day. Gaius was looking at Arthur nervously, obviously unsure as to Arthur's reaction to the fact his ward was a warlock. Arthur ignored Gaius for the moment.

"So the all powerful Emrys isn't good at healing magic?" Arthur asked skeptically. Gaius was so shocked at hearing Arthur refer to Merlin as Emrys that he collapsed on his bench. Merlin glanced at Gaius before turning his full attention back to Arthur.

"I'm getting better, but Gaius has many years more experience than me, and is much more knowledgeable. He knows the right books to look in to find the answers, even if he doesn't have them." Arthur finally turned to Gaius, looking at the physician that he knew had been lying to him to protect Merlin. He remembered Gaius's words to him that someday he would realise how much people had sacrificed to protect him, and he knew that in his own way, Gaius had been trying to tell Arthur without endangering his ward. He would have to talk to Gaius about it at some point, but now there were more pressing matters.

"Gaius, are you sure that just the antidote will save them? Elyan implied the snakes might have been conjured by magic," Arthur said.

"Yes Arthur, I'm afraid they were. The poison was enhanced by magic so if the antidote is to be effective, it must be enhanced with magic as well. Healing spells might not be Merlin's strong point, but this is something he can accomplish," Gaius said and nodded in Merlin's direction. Merlin hurried over to Gaius's antidote and picked it up, and then suddenly froze. He was obviously anxious to save Gwaine and Percival, but seemed to remember Arthur.

"Sire, will you allow me to use magic to strengthen the potion?" Merlin asked, pleadingly looking at Arthur. Arthur wondered what Merlin would do if he said no. A part of him wanted to test it, to see if Merlin would listen to his king or if the asking was just a polite formality to make Arthur think he was in control of the situation. If it was any other time, Arthur would have put Merlin's loyalty to the test, but he refused to do so at the expense of his knights.

"If it's the only way to save them, then do it. But just heal them, don't do anything else to them."

"They are my friends, Arthur. I would only ever heal them," Merlin said as he resumed what he was doing with the antidote before he had paused to ask Arthur's permission.

"Friends that you lie to? Is Gaius the only one who knows your secret?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, the only one in Camelot" was Merlin's brief reply, not looking at Arthur. Merlin whispered something and handed the antidote back to Gaius. Gaius took it and administered it to the knights. There was no immediate change.

"How long before it starts to work?" Arthur asked. Gaius leaned over the knights, inspecting their pulse and breathing.

"It is working sire. They already breathe easier, and their pulse improves; however, there is no way to know for sure when they will wake."

"Alright. I will go to my chambers and get some rest. Alert me if there is a change. I intend to ride at first light, whether they are awake by then or not."

* * *

Merlin woke up to Gaius gently shaking him, and he remembered how this had occurred the day before as well, and how it had shattered his world. He sat up quickly. Looking around frantically, he saw it was only Gaius in his chambers.

"Have the guards come for me?" He asked.

"No my boy, and I would have liked to have let you sleep, but the sun is almost up. I thought you would like some food this time before you leave," Gaius said kindly. Merlin unclenched his fists and let out the breath he was holding. Nodding to Gaius, he got up, dressed, and joined him at the breakfast table. As he sat down, he looked at the two still slumbering knights, and then looked at Gaius questioningly.

"They haven't woken, but their health continues to improve," Gaius said. It was what he expected, but Merlin still felt disappointment at his friends not being awake yet. Eyeing the oats greedily, Merlin dug in as soon as Gaius put his plate down. Last night before bed he had managed a piece of bread Gaius had saved him, but this was his first real meal since the day before last. He scarfed it down quickly causing Gaius to give him a slightly disapproving look, but he was determined to eat before Arthur dragged him off somewhere or stole his appetite again with his presence. Today would be different; when Arthur asked his questions, he would have answers. He hoped. '_Gwen's disappearance isn't going to improve his mood…_'

"Merlin, how are you doing my boy?" Gaius asked. Merlin knew he was specifically asking, how he was doing with Arthur knowing about his magic, and he was not sure how to answer. When someone asks how you are doing, and actually means it, it is often a difficult question to answer he realised.

"I'm ok," was his brief reply. He thought he should elaborate, but did not want to worry Gaius, and he wasn't sure his reasurances would be very reassuring in his current state.

"Well Arthur doesn't seem to be taking it too badly," Gaius said encouragingly, "with his recent experiences with magic, he must put some faith in you to not have you banished or executed."

"Maybe. He hasn't banished me because he wants Camelot's secrets to be safe, not because he actually wants me around," Merlin said.

"But Merlin, surely he wouldn't let you walk freely about his castle if he didn't have faith in you."

"Or he's just afraid of me, and is afraid to ask me to do anything he doesn't think I will listen to," Merlin said quietly.

"Surely…" Gaius started and stopped abruptly, and looked beyond Merlin. Merlin slowly turned around and saw Arthur standing behind him in the doorway. _'Oh course he heard that- just like he heard Agravain's comment about me. I must be cursed…'_

"Don't you even knock! I know this is your castle, but these aren't your quarters you know! At least have some respect for Gaius!"

* * *

"Yes, thank you Merlin for pointing out the obvious! It is my castle, and these are my knights sick here, and my wife is missing. Now go to your quarters while the adults talk!" Merlin spared an annoyed glance at Arthur before retreating to his room. Arthur had forgotten how furious he was with Merlin until he had overhead Merlin telling Gaius that Arthur was afraid of him. '_The King of Camelot is afraid of no sorcerer no matter how powerful! How dare Merlin say that!_' He had debated on the wisdom of bringing Merlin with him on the quest to find Gwen, but now he was clear on what he must do. _'I will bring Merlin with me and prove to him that I fear no one.' _ Gaius seemed to sense his mood for he said nothing while Arthur silently fumed. After a minute Arthur collected himself, and walked over to his knights.

"Gaius, how are Gwaine and Percival?" Arthur asked.

"They are steadily improving sire. They haven't woken yet, but I expect they shall within the day." Gaius replied. Arthur nodded. It was to be expected that they were still recovering, but he was still disappointed.

"I must leave at once to search for Gwen. If they awake today, and are healthy enough to travel, you can send them after us. Tell Merlin to fetch supplies and saddle our horses. I'll get Elyan and Leon, and I'll meet him in the courtyard."

"Yes, Sire."

Arthur left the chambers, and was about to head to town to find Elyan, when he saw the man approaching from the far hallway. Arthur was pleased that Elyan looked ready to travel.

"Gwaine and Percival are improving, but have not awoken. I left Gaius instruction to have them join us as soon as they are able, but I would still like to leave now to find Gwen. Are you ready to go?

"Of course sire! Who will be joining us? It can't be safe with Gwen possibly kidnapped, and with magic involved," Elyan said.

"It will be us, Leon, and Merlin until Gwaine and Percival are able to join us," Arthur said.

"But sire, what if bandits attack? Should we not at least take a couple other knights?" Elyan asked. Arthur pursed his lips. He did not feel ready to explain the Emrys situation to Elyan so he could not explain that if Merlin used magic, he did not want any witnesses that didn't know Merlin. Arthur would only bring knights he fully trusted on this mission, which meant only knights of the round table.

"I should have talked to Leon earlier and informed him of the situation," Arthur said, realising that his mind had been overflowing with other information, and he had forgotten to tell his trusted friend what was happening.

"It's fine sire. I informed him last night. I saw him just now heading to check on Gwaine and Percival. I told him that you would most likely want him to meet us in the courtyard after that," Elyan said. Arthur gripped his arm and nodded his thanks. One thing he valued about his knights of the round table was how they knew his mind and anticipated what he wanted them to do- both on and off the battlefield.

"Let's go then," Arthur said striding to the courtyard. He wanted to run. Thinking of Gwen possibly in Morgana's hands made him feel ill, and he knew that every second mattered. They waited by the fountain, which was the unofficial meeting place in the courtyard. Not long after they arrived, Leon joined them.

"We will find her sire," Leon said. Then after a short pause, "Where is Merlin?" Arthur looked around annoyed at the absence of his servant. He knew he shouldn't be angry as gathering the supplies, Arthur's belongings, and the horses would take a little time, but the rational part of his brain was not working very well- Arthur was angry. Leon shifted uncomfortably at Arthur's angry expression. Finally Merlin appeared with the horses saddled. '_How did he know the right number of horses to saddle. It's probably some sorcerer thing,'_ Arthur thought with annoyance.

"Hurry up Merlin! The longer we tarry, the more prolonged Gwen's suffering if she's been captured." Merlin was already hurrying and quite out of breath when he reached them. Elyan patted him on the back sympathetically. They quickly mounted their horses and rode with Elyan leading the way to where the attack happened.

It took them about three hours to reach their destination. Arthur was impressed Elyan found it again so easily, but he said he had made note of it, knowing he would need to find it again. He had also spent a lot of time traveling in these woods so he knew them fairly well. Elyan was always surprising him with his hidden talents. He had almost as many as Gwaine, but you expected them of Gwaine. Elyan was often serious and full of words of wisdom, but Arthur still thought of him as Gwen's brother and the blacksmith's son, and not the experienced traveler that he was.

"This is where we were attacked by the snakes, and you see Gwen's horse goes off in this direction," Elyan said pointing westward. Arthur was relieved Gwen's tracks were so clear, but he was afraid they wouldn't remain so. There were ominous clouds overhead. The ground soon turned rocky, and the hoof prints were harder to find, and since the soil was rocky, the underbrush was minimal. Arthur slowed to fall back with Merlin, as Elyan and Leon continued scouring the ground for tracks.

"Can't you be useful for once!" Arthur hissed to Merlin. "It's about to rain- we need to follow the trail faster!"

* * *

Merlin looked at Arthur in surprise. He knew Arthur was royally pissed at him for his comment to Gaius about Arthur being afraid, so he was trying not to take anything Arthur said personally. He had also been trying to pull Arthur aside to clarify said controversial comment, but Arthur had been ignoring him. Now, however, was not the time to bring it up. Merlin hadn't thought to try finding the trail using his magic.

"I'll try!" Merlin said with a placating gesture. Concentrating he looked at the small broken branch Leon had just found and cast his vision forward. '_Found it!_' At that moment, the heavens opened, and it started to downpour. Merlin rode his horse hard ahead, determined to at least find the next clue before it was washed away. Elyan and Leon gave a little start as he rode past them. A couple yards further and he found it.

"Here!" he yelled, and then blinking his eyes in the rain, sheepishly realising they were all right behind him. He pointed at the ground, where you could just make out the quickly fading tracks. "It's a horse print and another horse print coming from the other direction," Merlin said pointing to the other print that was even harder to see now. Leon and Elyan looked at him a little skeptically, but eventually nodded their agreement. Merlin didn't want to look at Arthur, but finally forced himself to meet the king's gaze. Grief and anger warred against each other as he looked around frantically for any sign of Gwen's trail.

"Does anyone see where the tracks go from here?" Arthur asked frantically, his gaze ending on Merlin. Merlin looked down ashamed he couldn't be of more help, and he worried about Gwen.

"Leon and Elyan go find us some shelter, Merlin and I will continue to look here for signs," Arthur said. Leon and Elyan nodded their assent, and quickly took off in search of shelter. Merlin's heart started beating faster as he realised Arthur wasn't looking around for the trail, he was staring at him. His blue eyes were as cold as ice. It felt like they froze Merlin in place as Arthur paced closer, only stopping a foot in front of him. The rain poured down between them, thunder booming in the distance. The storm clearly matched Arthur's mood.

"Why can't you find her? You don't care that Guinevere is missing, do you? This whole friendship thing is just an act. You aren't even trying! Some powerful sorcerer, oh excuse me, I mean _warlock, _you are. You can't even find one girl! Were you lying about how strong you are? Maybe Morgana is mistaken and the powerful Emrys is just a paltry charlatan!" Arthur yelled as he pushed Merlin backwards.

"You can't even begin to know my power! I am no charlatan!" Merlin yelled back angrily. He didn't physically shove Arthur back, but his magic pushed back, causing him to stumble backwards a couple feet. Merlin knew he needed to calm down, and this was not the way to convince Arthur to accept his magic, but he was almost as frustrated as Arthur about not being able to follow Gwen. Arthur glared at him.

"I'm not afraid of you Emrys!" Arthur said, and in one swift motion drew Excalibur. Merlin paled.

"Arthur, I… I won't fight you!" Merlin said.

"Draw your sword, now!" Merlin had forgotten he had a sword at his side, but he didn't want to use it, especially against Arthur.

"No!" Merlin replied, slowly backing away from Arthur.

"This is what I mean Emrys. You choose when you want to obey me. You aren't loyal. You don't consider me your king!"

"Arthur please!" Merlin tried one more time, but Arthur continued to pierce his soul with his stare. "Ok, you win, I'll draw my sword. If this is what it takes to prove my loyalty, I'll do it." Merlin shakily drew the weapon, and watched with dread as Arthur advanced towards him, Excalibur swinging.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you to all of you lovely readers, especially those of you who left a review! I got this chapter up sooner than I thought I would- in part thanks to your encouraging reviews and following this story. _**Gaylelbf**_, thank you for saying that you like how I've written the struggle between Merlin and Arthur- that is the most important part of the story for me, so it makes me happy that you think I'm doing it well! And yes, as several of you have noted, Arthur is being a royal prat. You'll have to stay tuned to see if that changes. ;)

Also, I know I'm going off script. I've changed a couple of little things, like which knights were bitten by snakes and such. It's in part so I feel the freedom to take the story where it leads, and not feel chained to the script. Oh and speaking of changes, please leave a review if you have an opinion on whether Elyan should die or not in the next chapter. I could write it either way. ;)

* * *

Chapter 6

Merlin barely raised his sword in time to meet Excalibur. The two blades clashed with a loud ring that was partially masked by the booming thunder. The wind picked up, ripping at Merlin's thin coat and breachers, sending a shiver down his spine.

"At least stop the rain so we can follow her tracks!" Arthur paused to yell, with his blade still pressed against Merlin's.

"I can't Arthur- I'm sorry!" Merlin shouted back. It was using all of his strength to not fall backwards from the pressure of Excalibur on his sword.

"Why?" Arthur stepped back, then swung his sword to meet Merlin's again.

"Arthur, it's complicated, but I can't change the weather," Merlin replied between gritted teeth.

"I'm not afraid of you Emrys! I demand answers!" Arthur had paused again, allowing Merlin to catch his breath.

"I can't because you don't want me to! You love your people. If I change the weather here, it will affect the entire kingdom. Plants won't grow, people will starve; I don't even know all the unforeseen consequences... And I _know_ you aren't scared of me," Merlin replied.

"Now you're just being patronizing. I heard you tell Gaius I feared you!" Arthur yelled and renewed his attack, driving Merlin backwards.

'_I will not use magic against Arthur, I will not use magic against Arthur,_' he started chanting in his head. '_I know he won't hurt me. He isn't going all out. It's just a test. It has to be a test,_' Merlin's thoughts were getting more desperate, as he found it harder and harder to meet Arthur's increasingly fast attacks. As he lunged forward to block another, Arthur swept his feet out from under him and pressed Excalibur to his neck.

"Arthur, please let me explain. You are the bravest person I know, and I know you aren't scared of me. Wary of my magic, yes, but not afraid to face it or me if you need to. I know you, and I know the thing you truly fear is failing to protect your friends, and failing to protect Camelot. That is why you don't know what to do with me. You are afraid of the consequences of your decision- afraid to listen to your heart. Agravain's betrayal is too fresh, and Morgana's ran too deep. I understand your fear Arthur. It's only natural and not something to be ashamed of. I know you'll conquer it, just you've conquered every other fear you've faced. Please don't think I question your bravery." Merlin wasn't sure what Arthur thought of his speech, but he did move his sword from Merlin's neck and take a step back. Then there was a pause that seemed to Merlin to last for hours.

"What if I can't find Gwen? I can't lose her...," Arthur asked looking off in the distance.

"We will find her," Merlin said pushing himself up, out of the mud. Merlin stepped closer to Arthur and gripped his arm, causing him to meet Merlin's eyes in surprise. "I give you my word. I will find her and bring her back to you. We'll bring her home." Merlin's words seem to melt something inside of Arthur and he pitched forward into Merlin, holding onto his shoulder.

"I will hold you to that," he whispered to Merlin, then rested his forehead on his shoulder for a brief moment. With the rain it was hard to tell, but Merlin thought it was one of those rare moments when Arthur cried. It only lasted a second in which Merlin didn't dare breath, before Arthur had pushed away from Merlin, and to the warlock's great relief, sheathed his sword.

"Arthur, we found a cave!" Leon shouted, coming into view. It didn't seem like he had witnessed anything based on his expression. Arthur glanced at Merlin one last time before following Leon. '_Well that could have been bad. Good thing Leon didn't get here any sooner_,' Merlin thought as he quickly followed Leon and Arthur. A cave would be nice as he and Arthur were both soaked through. The thought of drying off in front of a fire with some warm soup was a happy thought.

* * *

One thing Arthur hated the most was feeling helpless, and that is how he felt now. Merlin's words had rekindled the dying hope in his heart, but he still felt drained of strength and without a direction to proceed. '_Merlin. He always has that ability...rekindling hope… no, I will not think of Merlin now. Its too... complicated._' He avoided eye contact with his friend as Leon led them to the cave. Entering he was surprised to see more than Elyan there.

"Gwaine, Percival, how are you feeling?" Arthur asked hurrying over to his knights.

"We're fine, Sire. We woke soon after you left. Gaius examined us and said we were fit to travel," Percival said.

"Don't worry your pretty head about us princess. We are as fit as ever!" Gwaine said, lifting his water skin in cheers. Arthur looked at Gwaine skeptically. _'Is that really water in there? I guess he might have needed something for the pain. Better not to ask._' The rain continued to pour, and Arthur noticed Merlin shivering.

"We were able to gather some wood before it got too wet. Merlin if you have a flint, perhaps you can start the fire?" Percival asked. _'I'm sure he could start a fire with wet wood, but it's a good thing he doesn't have to with witnesses here.'_

"Of course!" Merlin said as he eagerly knelt before the stack of wood and got the the logs burning, "I'll get working on the soup as well." Everyone nodded in agreement at that. It had been a long morning and they were famished. It was already getting into the afternoon, and the fall days were getting shorter. It pained him to think it, but he realised they would probably be spending the night in the cave as it would be dark in a couple hours and the rain didn't seem to be letting up. As the ingredients were pre-cut, Merlin made quick work of preparing the soup.

Arthur took his bowl from Merlin gratefully, but still refused to make eye contact with him. He sat by the fire, happy to find his clothes drying and the bowl of warm soup warming his fingers. Taking a bite, it slowly started to warm him from the inside out. The knights heaped praise on Merlin for his fine cooking, and Gwaine teased him that he'd make a fine wife someday. Arthur wished he could join in the banter, but his heart was not in it as he continued staring at his bowl.

The rain finally ceased, but the sky was black. The clouds blocked the full moon that should have lit the entrance to their cave. Arthur joined the knights in setting up camp, and spread out his bedroll. It was mutually, silently, acknowledged they couldn't track Gwen in the darkness, no matter how much Arthur wanted to leave. He felt on edge and knew he couldn't sleep so he volunteered to take first watch at the cave's entrance. He paced the entrance for a while before he finally felt the adrenaline fading and he collapsed on a rock near the cave wall, leaning his head into his hands in frustration.

He had been sitting there for a while, his mind feeling bland with despair, when Merlin came over and sat- not next to him, but a wary couple feet away. Arthur looked at him suspiciously, not wanting to talk. Merlin looked up and their eyes met for the first time since the fight. Merlin understood and kept his mouth shut, keeping a silent watch with Arthur. '_Of course Merlin understood,'_ Arthur thought bitterly, '_he knows me better than anyone.' _

After a couple hours, Elyan relieved Arthur of watch duties, and Arthur made his way to his bedroll. After a few words to Elyan, he noticed that Merlin followed suit, throwing another log on the fire, then going to his own bedroll. For some reason this irritated Arthur that Merlin had felt the need to keep an eye on Arthur. It caused all of his paranoia to flare up, but he pushed it aside. He needed rest, for Gwen's sake. Even telling himself that, it took him another hour to fall asleep.

"Ahhhh! What in the light!" Arthur woke to Gwaine screaming, as he sat up quickly. Percival he noticed was also moaning unintelligibly as he slowly woke as well and sat up next to Gwaine.

"What is it?" Arthur asked in concern. Everyone was awake now at the commotion and Merlin sat down next to Gwaine, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It was… just a dream, but the most vivid dream I've ever had. There was a dark forest, dead bodies, and blood, and out of the plains rose something dark…" Gwaine started, but was interrupted by Percival.

"It was the blackest thing I've ever seen, like it absorbed the light around it, and decay and death surrounded it… Gwaine, I had the same dream," Percival said.

"This can't be coincidence. You were both bitten by the enchanted snakes, but not killed instantly. I think whoever did this… possibly Morgana… wanted you to have those dreams and tell Arthur," Merlin said looking directly at Arthur, and speaking up in a way he normally avoided.

"So it is a trap for Arthur," Leon said, his worry for his sovereign leaking into his words.

"I know where Morgana, or whoever has Gwen took her," Arthur said, feeling the dread at the knowledge drowning him. "The dark tower; the place every young knight is taught to dread."

"I've never heard of it," Merlin said. Looking around at the other knights faces, it looked like only Leon had also heard of it.

"It's bad luck to speak of it," Arthur whispered. Then noticing the sun rising, he stood to face it and take strength from the light. At least he had a direction to go in. Knowing his destination, he felt fresh determination enter his limbs.

"I'm going to the dark tower. It is a dangerous enough place without an evil sorceress planning it as a trap. I know which direction it is in, and I'll go there alone," Arthur said still facing out towards the light. He could hear all his knights shifting uncomfortably behind him.

"Sire, Gwen is my sister, and it's my fault she is missing. I am going with you," Elyan said, causing Arthur to turn around to face him. He finally nodded.

"She is our queen my lord, we cannot abandon her," Percival said.

"She is our friend, how could we abandon a friend in the dark tower?" Leon asked. Arthur let out a little exasperated sigh, but nodded again.

"She's a maiden in a tower. A damsel in distress, I was born for this moment," Gwaine said, causing Arthur to smirk slightly. All eyes then turned to Merlin who hadn't spoken and was packing up their belongings. He paused when he noticed his companions eyes on him.

"I made you a promise Arthur. I keep my promises," Merlin said meeting Arthur's stare. Oh how he wanted to believe those loyal eyes and that fierce gaze. '_Why couldn't you tell me the __truth about your magic when I became king? Can I trust your promises?'_ Arthur nodded in acknowledgement of Merlin's words of support.

"Well if you are all determined, let us make haste at once! If Morgana has Gwen, every second counts!" Arthur said leading the way outside to where they had tied their horses. The others followed quickly. Everyone rode in silence, even Gwaine as they felt Arthur's determination and focus driving them towards their target. They continued westwards, Arthur leading the way, until they reached a large forest.

"We've reached the impenetrable forest," Arthur said, trying not to feel daunted by how overgrown it looked.

"And how exactly are we getting through it? If it is impenetrable?" Merin asked.

"Well Merlin, we'll have to find a way, won't we?" Arthur mocked in annoyance. Why Merlin of all people should be asking him that, he didn't know. _'Isn't that what sorcerers were for anyways? Finding ways through impenetrable forests?' _

They entered the forest, with all but Merlin hacking away at the vines that blocked their path. Every couple feet Arthur was forced to swing Excalibur, and although the vines held no resistance to his unnaturally sharp blade, his arm soon started to tire from the motion. Looking to the side at his knights, whose swords weren't as grand, he saw them exerting more effort and growing short of breath. Percival's sword even broke when encountering one of the thicker vines. When they got a view of the dark tower in one of the clearings, he had hope that they were making progress. It was quickly dashed when they found part of Gwaine's cloak he had torn several hours before. They were walking in circles.

"We have gone round in a circle! We have wasted an entire day!" Arthur yelled slamming his sword into the ground. There was silence for a while as no one wanted to say anything to Arthur in his current state. Finally Leon gathered his courage.

"Sire, there is nothing for it. We must camp here for the night and try again tomorrow," Leon said apologetically. Arthur didn't say anything, staring off into the trees, trying to ferret out the riddle of the forest. Everyone assumed his unvoiced objection, meant begrudging acceptance, and they started to set up camp. The first chance Arthur got, he pulled Merlin aside to question him. Grabbing Merlin's arm, he steered him a few more steps away from the others who were lost in their own conversation.

"Surely you can get us through an enchanted forest Merlin. Why are you letting us walk in circles?" Arthur whispered, trying not to let his anger get the better of him again. Finding Gwen was of the utmost importance. Arthur would control his temper, and get his sorcerer _friend's_ help.

"I'm working on it Arthur, truly I am. I've been working on casting my vision forward, but what I see doesn't make sense. I will figure it out Arthur. I know every second counts, and you don't want to hear this from me, but I need more time," Merlin said with quiet sincerity. '_At least he seems sincere, but we need to find her now!' _Arthur released his grip on Merlin's arm.

"I expect you to have it figured out by morning," Arthur said with all his kingly authority as walked away from his servant. Merlin gave him one worried look, which wasn't reasureing and then resumed his task of gathering firewood. Arthur went back and finished setting up his bedroll. Merlin volunteered to take first watch, which was unusual, but Arthur did not think on it for long. The lack of sleep the last couple nights had caught up with him, and his frantic thoughts that had been keeping him up turned into nightmarish dreams that had him tossing and turning all night.

Arthur woke, feeling physically more rested, but mentally drained. His eyes immediately sought Merlin. Merlin sat on his bedroll with an intense expression on his face, and noticing his king's eyes on him, he turned to face him. Arthur looked at him questioningly, and a small smile appeared on his lips, as he nodded to the king. _'He's figured it out!_' Arthur realised, and immediately jumped to his feet. The knights were all awake at this point as well and saddling up their horses to continue the journey.

"Which way do we go?" Arthur asked the universe, willing his manservant to get the hint and answer.

"We go north," Merlin said. '_And how is that helpful?_'

"And how pray do we know which way is north? The leaves should be pale to the south and dark to the north, but all logic seems to go out the window in this enchanted forest," Arthur complained.

"It is this way," Merlin said pointing.

"Uhm, I hate to doubt you Merlin," Leon asked, "but how do you know that?" Arthur was wondering the same thing, but figured it must be some magic thing.

"Well, the air always smells of the sea from the north," Merlin replied, to which Arthur snorted. The knights all stared at him incredulously; however, at that moment the trees overhead parted for a brief second casting a shadow on Excalibur. It showed them that Merlin was right.

Merlin took the lead, seeming to turn on a dime at random times, but if Arthur wasn't questioning him, the knights decided it must be worth giving Merlin a chance. Their faith grew as they reached the clearing with the dark tower in the distance, and continued on their way. Soon the forest cleared, and they had reached the plains with the dark tower ahead. They would be within its dark walls in hours.

A deep bone chilling dread started to seep into Arthur's thoughts. They walked by hundreds of rotting corpses, and on narrow sand dunes. Arthur knew his knights needed rest, but he couldn't bring himself to pause this close to their goal- this close to Gwen. They finally reached the base of the tower, where he paused briefly.

"None of you need accompany me. This is your last chance to turn back. There is no shame if you wait outside the tower," Arthur said, looking all of his knights in the eyes. All of them met his stare with a resilient one of their own. Nodding, Arthur took a deep breath and plunged forward into the tower, his sword drawn in expectation of the horrors Morgana had in store for them.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I was writing this chapter, and I knew the scene I wanted to end it with, but it kept getting longer and longer! My chapters are around 3,000 words, but this one was almost 4,000 so I decided to divide it in half. The bad news is this chapter is shorter than normal (2,000 words), but the good news is the next chapter is almost done so I should get it out by Monday. :)

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Chapter 7

The stairs were steep and narrow. Arthur did not know for sure, but they felt enchanted to him. The blood spilt in and around the tower seemed to have infused its walls with despair, that pressed in on all of them. They had been going upwards for several minutes, with Arthur in the lead, Merlin closely behind him, and his knights trailing after. Arthur would never admit it to Merlin, but he felt more prepared to face whatever was waiting for them with Merlin at his side. It would most likely be some form of sorcery, and Arthur admitted he felt lost on how to deal with most sorcerers, especially if running them through before they could cast anything did not work.

"Something is wrong. This is too easy," Merlin said. '_On second thought, maybe it would be better if Merlin wasn't here.'_

"Are you never happy? Arthur complained. At that moment, when he was looking at Merlin, a skeleton fell out in front of him. Arthur jumped in surprise, briefly glaring at Merlin who smirked at him. Elyan pushed past the skeleton, taking the lead.

"All right, lets keep going. And be extra vigilant, in case Merlin is right," Arthur said, motioning the rest of his knights to follow him.

* * *

The stairs finally ended in a large room that was starkly wide compared to the narrow stairway they had left, and with high ceilings. Feeling they must be close to Gwen, they all started running, and Merlin immediately sensed something was wrong. Percival screamed as a dart seemed to come out of nowhere and pierced his calf. Another dart flew at the back of Arthur's head as Arthur had turned to check on Percival who was behind him, and Merlin was able to deflect it and the one that had almost nicked Elyan's shoulder.

"Stop moving!" Arthur yelled, and his knights froze. Merlin stopped at well, looking at the walls. It was impossible to tell exactly where the darts had shot out of in the dim room, which was only lit by their torches. Arthur slowly turned and tossed his sword on the stone in front of it. This caused a dart to shoot out, and fly between Arthur and Elyan. Arthur looked at his men and they nodded in understanding, but Elyan was much farther ahead of them and would reach the other side quickly.

"Wait for us Elyan," Merlin called out.

"None of us would be here if it wasn't for me. I have to push on," Elyan said and ran ahead. "_Elyan, please stay safe, and don't do anything stupid," _Merlin looked to Arthur, and they exchanged worried glances. The rest of knights hurried as quickly as the could, with Gwaine helping Percival limp across the room as well. There was another small set of stairs, which opened into another big room, this one with two visible occupants.

"Nooo! You can't die!" Shouted Gwen and she rocked back and forth with Elyan's head in her lap. Elyan's side had a gaping hole in it, and Merlin rushed forward, checking the extent of the damage. Arthur knelt down beside them, taking one of Gwen's hands and squeezing it. The wound looked bad, and closing his eyes and examining it with his magic confirmed it. _'If I do nothing, he will die'_ Merlin realised.

"Its really bad Arthur. I don't know if I can save him," Merlin said. '_Even with Magic. Whatever stabbed him, presumably a sword, was enchanted._'

"Do what is necessary," Arthur said, locking eyes with Merlin and letting him know exactly what he meant. Arthur then turned his attention to Gwen, who he looked over carefully. "Gwen, I need you to go with Leon. Leon, she looks weary, help her down, and Gwaine can help Percival. I'll assist Merlin with Elyan, and we will meet you shortly at the base of the tower. Get Gwen outside these walls," Arthur said.

"Elyan, father would be so proud of you," Gwen said. She looked like she was going to argue to stay, but then turned and allowed Leon to escort her out.

"I will do what I can," Merlin told Arthur when everyone had left, "but the blade was enchanted and he is losing a lot of blood." '_If I try to heal him and fail, will Arthur blame me for his death?'_

"I know you will do your best Merlin," Arthur whispered in support, which surprised Merlin, and fortified his nerves.

"Can you put pressure on his wound while I do this?" Merlin asked. Arthur quickly moved forward to do as Merlin asked. Merlin turned his full attention to Elyan, and started chanting every healing spell he knew, trying to bring his magic out and let it flow instinctually in the direction it was needed. Merlin held his breath waiting to see if there was any effect. He chanced a glance at Arthur who was kneeling beside him, and saw him staring at him with confidence for once. He could not let Elyan down, and he would not let Arthur down. Turning back to Elyan, he waited, pouring his magic into the wound. The bleeding finally slowed, and when he examined him with his magic, he saw that internally his magic had worked on partially knitting Elyan back together. Merlin grabbed some bandaged from his bag and started to wrap the wound as Arthur let go.

"Will he recover?" Arthur asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

"I'm not sure Arthur. Elyan was close to death, but now he has a chance at least. It's not safe here, and Gaius will have some useful potions for him when we get back; but truthfully, the travel will take its toll on him."

"You...you did well Merlin," Arthur said somewhat awkwardly, "I'll help you get him out of the tower." It was going to be difficult with Elyan passed out. Merlin grabbed his feet, and Arthur grabbed under his arms. When they got to the room with the darts, they set him down.

"How exactly were you planning on getting us through here?" Arthur asked.

"I think the safest way would be if you went first, setting off the darts with your sword, and I followed behind you with Elyan."

"And how exactly will you be carrying Elyan?" Arthur asked.

"Like this," Merlin said and proceeded to carefully levitate Elyan beside him. It took a lot of concentration, like balancing a spinning ball on your fingertip, and the healing spells had drained him. Arthur's eyes widened slightly, but he noticed Merlin's strained face and went quickly. They made it through without setting off any darts, and once they were completely clear of the room and approaching the top of the stairs, Merlin set Elyan down, and then proceeded to collapse next to him.

"Come on Merlin, if you are too tired to use magic, you at least need to help me physically carry him. Up you get," Arthur said pulling Merlin up. Merlin swayed a little on his feet.

"Arthur, I'm a little worried, in my current state, if I tried carrying Elyan down this narrow staircase, I'd drop him," Merlin sheepishly said.

"Come on Merlin! I'll go down first with his head, and that way most of his weight will be on me, and if you drop his feet, it's no big deal," Arthur said. Merlin thought about it, but realised that would not be good, and dropping Elyan's weight onto Arthur would potentially cause Arthur to fall.

"Arthur, it will put a lot of strain on you to be carrying most of Elyan's weight down all these stairs. Your muscles will be exhausted, and if I drop Elyan's feet, you might just tumble down the stairs…" Arthur was about to interrupt, but Merlin held up his hand in protest, "I have a better idea! I'll go down and send Leon and Gwaine back up, while I look at Percival's leg and check on Gwen."

"Always trying to get out of work Merlin, glad to see your just as lazy of a warlock as you are a servant. Fine, go get them," Arthur said as he stood with his hand on one hip and the other starting to impatiently tap against the stairwell wall. Merlin felt a little bad, knowing that Arthur was dying to check on Gwen himself, but Leon and Gwaine would make Arthur's trip down with Elyan much easier and safer. And Merlin wanted to make sure Morgana hadn't done anything to Gwen that he had missed on first glance that he would need to heal.

Making his way down the stairs, he tried to block out the oppressive atmosphere, and to not let his negative thoughts carry him away. Rescuing Gwen had been too easy. Morgana, and he was almost sure it was Morgana at this point, had essentially led them directly there, and then didn't even remain there herself. Morgana was many things, but she was not a coward. '_She's an arrogant, self-righteous, bi..'_ well best not to think too long about what Morgana had become. She wasn't the kind of person to disappear. She'd want to watch her handywork. If he hadn't felt her magical residue in the tower, he'd think it had to be someone else.

Going down was much faster than going up, or at least it felt like it. His exhaustion seemed to dissipate some as he left the oppressive tower and stepped into the sunlight. The air was still heavy, and the bones scattered everywhere were intimidating, but it was still a relief.

Gwen was sitting, crouched in a ball, hugging herself, while Leon sat a few feet away, trying to offer words of comfort. She jumped up when she saw Merlin. Her face immediately turned hopeful.

"Is he alive?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, but he's hurt badly. Our best bet is to get him to Gaius as quickly as possible. I've bandanged him and done what I could to stop the bleeding," Merlin replied. Gwen ran over and gave him a quick hug.

"And where exactly is Elyan and the princess?" Gwaine asked. Merlin finally spotted Gwaine and the injured Percival sitting on the other side of the tower entrance.

"We carried him to the top of the stairs, but honestly I think it is going to take three people to get him down. I can stay with Percival and Gwen, and you, Gwaine, and Leon should go help Arthur." They listened to Merlin, and soon he was left with an injured Percival and a distraught Gwen. Best to take care of the easier case first.

"How does your leg feel Percival?" Merlin asked kneeling next to his friend. Gwaine had removed the dart and tied an old rag on it, but it needed to be properly cleaned and bandaged. Merlin took the rag off and poured some of his water over the wound, causing Pervical to wince.

"Well it was feeling ok until you touched it," Percival joked, "I'll be fine Merlin. It didn't go deep." _'Yeah, this should heal quickly.' _Merlin finished bandaging it, then left Percival to rest. Gwen had been sitting by herself, huddled a couple feet away from the entrance, staring intently at the ground. Merlin was half surprised she had not insisted she be one of the ones to go back and help Arthur with Elyan. Now the difficult part.

Merlin quietly walked over to Gwen, and sat down next to her. She did not move. Slowly, Merlin put his hand on her shoulder, in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. She jumped away from him, quickly pushing his arm aside.

"Oh it's just you Merlin," she said, seeming to quickly recover, "don't surprise a girl like that."

"I'm so sorry Gwen! I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Was it Morgana who had you?" Merlin asked, even though he was pretty sure of the answer.

"Yes, it was Morgana. I'm...I'm fine. She didn't harm me. I was just the bait to draw Arthur in and kill him, but the enchanted sword struck Elyan instead," Gwen said and put her head into her hands and started sobbing. '_Morgana has a personal vendetta against Gwen, that's why she sent Lancelot's shade...it would be very strange if she did nothing. Is there something Gwen isn't telling me?_' He discreetly checked her over with his magic, and didn't feel any active enchantments. Something still felt off though; hopefully he was just being paranoid.

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A/N: Next chapter will be uploaded soon!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here is chapter 8 up quickly, as promised ;) Please note there is a scene with Arthur tipsy/a little drunk at the end of the chapter. You can skip it if you like, but nothing sketchy happens. Arthur is just a little more honest than normal.

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Chapter 8

It had been awkward, having the three of them carry Elyan, but they had finally made it to the bottom of the tower. Arthur let out a relieved breath when he saw Gwen again. He knew it was irrational, but there was a part of him that expected her not to be there; He half expected Morgana to pop out of nowhere and whisk her away again. '_Merlin is rubbing off on me with his weird feelings. We have Gwen back and it's all fine now.'_

He walked over to his love and pulled her into a fierce hug. She hugged him back, but seemed weaker to him. He looked her over again and thought she looked pale and tired, but otherwise in surprisingly good shape.

"Let's move out. The sooner we are away from here, and back in Camelot, the better!" Arthur said. Gwaine and Leon continued carrying Elyan until they reached the edge of the forest. Then they tied Elyan to his horse and Gwen insisted on riding behind him. It made sense, but Arthur wished she would ride with him instead. Once they were all mounted, they took off trying to make as much ground as they could in the fading light. They rode back eastward at a steady pace. Arthur was hyper aware of every sound they heard, fearing they would face bandits or worse on their way back, and with Gwen and Elyan in their current states, he wanted to avoid any confrontations.

"Arthur, we should make camp now," Merlin said from beside him, "we can't reach Camelot today, the light is fading, and we are all exhausted." Arthur nodded, Merlin was right.

"All right, we will make camp here," Arthur told the group. He dismounted his horse, and went to help Gwen down. She accepted his help, but when he grabbed her bedroll to set it up beside his, she stopped him.

"Arthur, I'm going to sleep next to Elyan, to make sure he is comfortable. I know Merlin could do it, but I need to know...I need to know he is still breathing," Gwen said.

"Of course, I understand," Arthur replied. '_I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it._' Arthur set up his bed roll, and noticed Merlin had the fire going and food cooking by then. As they sat down to eat, the mood that should have been jubilant with the queen's return, was subdued with Elyan's fading condition. Arthur put his arm around Gwen, squeezing her shoulder. She looked at him appreciatively. Soon after that though she got up, and she went back to laying down next to Elyan, keeping a careful eye on her brother. Arthur decided he should get some rest as well, and he was about to go to his bedroll when Merlin pulled him aside.

"Arthur, can I have a quick word?" Merlin asked. Arthur was about to say it could wait until morning, but Merlin was giving him one of those intense 'this is important' looks.

"As long as it is quick," Arthur said, following Merlin off to the side of their camp a bit.

"Arthur, are you planning on telling Gwen… about my magic?" Merlin whispered.

"Of course! I want to talk to her about it first, and get her thoughts before I talk to other people," Arthur said, gesturing to his round table knights. "It's been killing me, not being able to talk to her about it!"

"Well… do you think you could wait a little longer?" Merlin asked, clearing bracing himself for Arthur to explode in his face, which he did, after dragging him father away from the others.

"Are you crazy? Why in the world would I do that? As soon as we get back, I'm planning on telling her!"

"Arthur, please don't."

"Why?" Arthur asked, getting fed up with his friend's vagueness.

"I don't know!" Merlin said with frustration, starting to quickly pace. '_I'll never understand this man.'_

"Merlin, that doesn't make sense!" Arthur yelled at him. "Are you afraid of how she will react? I mean, honestly, I'm not sure how she will react, but I'm guessing it will be a better reaction than mine!"

"No, that's not it! I have a _really_ bad feeling though. Something tells me that it would be a big mistake to tell her. These feelings are usually my magic warning me of danger Arthur. It always turns out bad when I don't trust them," Merlin said.

"Merlin, I will not keep this from Gwen!"

"Please Arthur, I'm not asking you to keep it from her forever! She is still recovering from her time with Morgana, and dealing with Elyan's injury so now isn't the best time to tell her anyways. At least wait a couple weeks. Please," Merlin said as he stopped pacing and locked eyes with Arthur.

"I make no promises, and if she asks me about it, I can't say I'll deny it. I will try to wait a little while…" Arthur finally conceded. Gwen would surely notice something was up between Arthur and Merlin though, and ask about it, and he didn't plan on lying to his wife.

"Thank you!" Merlin said with a big grin.

"I said I make no promises. You don't have to be that grateful," Arthur mumbled as he headed back towards camp.

* * *

The next morning Merlin woke up feeling refreshed. His magic had recovered, and he was feeling better about the Gwen situation. Hopefully Arthur would hold out until Merlin could figure out why his magic was panicking over the thought of Arthur telling Gwen. Something felt off about Gwen, but he couldn't put his finger on it, and for some reason having her find out about his magic filled him with dread. It was so frustrating, not knowing why, and having nothing concrete to tell Arthur.

Everyone was in a hurry to get home, and pitched in packing up the camp. They were on their way quickly; it would only take them a couple hours to reach Camelot. Merlin had checked on Elyan this morning and noticed his condition was worsening, but he had expected as much; traveling by horseback while injured was not kind to the body. Merlin spent most of the ride back trying to pinpoint his feelings of unease, but it was a pointless exercise.

When they reached Camelot, Gwaine and Leon carried Elyan to Gaius's chambers. The rest of the group followed. Merlin assumed Gaius would want to examine Percival and Gwen as well. Gaius's eyes widened at the big group that crowded into his room.

"Elyan was stabbed by an enchanted sword that Morgana set to guard Gwen," Arthur explained, "Percival has a shallow leg wound, and Gwen, I believe, is just exhausted, but I'd appreciate it if you examine her after the ordeal she went through."

"Oh course sire," Gaius said, and first went to where they had laid Elyan. He started undoing the bandage. "Merlin fetch me my ointment. Has Elyan woken up since the injury?" Gaius asked.

"No thankfully, that would have been really painful," Merlin said giving Gaius a significant look. He had cast a sleeping spell on Elyan, as he knew the trip home would be too painful to endure awake. Merlin handed Gaius the ointment from the nearby shelf and everyone watched as he made quick work of re-bandaging with wound. Gaius then checked his pulse, looked under his eyelids, then turned to face his audience.

"He has lost a lot of blood, and his pulse is lower than I would have liked. It's too soon to say for certain if he will pull through, but I am hopeful. Percival, let me put some ointment on your leg, and you, Gwaine, and Leon can be on your way." Percival sat on Gaius chair, while he applied the ointment, and the knights were soon gone.

"Gwen, my dear. How are you doing?" Gaius asked. Merlin watched her carefully as she answered, determined to figure out what was causing his unease.

"Oh Gaius, I'm so glad to be back. I'm doing fine, really. Just focus your energy on Elyan," Gwen said.

"Just allow me to exam you briefly. I'm sure you are fine, but it will put Arthur to ease. Just sit here a moment," Gaius said motioning to his chair. Gwen sat and allowed Gaius to take her pulse, and look in her eyes and ears.

"She looks very well considering her ordeal. I recommend rest and lots of fluids," Gaius said. Merlin was frustrated. He was hoping Gaius would notice something he had missed.

"Then there is cause to celebrate!" Arthur said, "We will throw a feast this evening to celebrate the queen's return!"

"Arthur, that isn't necessary," Gwen said.

"Nonsense! The queen is back and Morgana's plot has been thwarted. There is much to celebrate! Merlin fetch Gwen's maid while I escort her to her room, then meet me in my chambers," Arthur said, then disappeared with Gwen. There was much to do. Talking to Gaius about Gwen would unfortunately have to wait.

Merlin went about his chores; seeing to Arthur's armor, drawing him a bath, doing the laundry, and informing the cook of the feast, but his mind was far away. He'd given up thinking about Gwen for the moment, but then his mind went back to worrying about Arthur. He really hoped now that Gwen was back, they could start repairing their friendship.

The time had sped by with how busy Merlin had been, and before he knew it, he found himself serving Arthur wine at the feast. Gwen looked stunning sitting next to him, but also weary. He wouldn't be surprised if she left soon as she was not talking much to the other guests.

"Arthur, love, I feel exhausted. I'm going to have to turn in early," Gwen whispered to Arthur. Merlin easily overhead her, confirming his suspicions.

"Of course! No one expects you to stay at the feast late tonight. I'll wrap things up here with everyone, and join you shortly," Arthur replied. Gwen paused, as if considering something, then frowned.

"Arthur, I'm sorry, but I think I need to just go to bed. I'll be in the queen's chambers tonight. I'll join you for breakfast in the morning though, and then we can go check on Elyan together," Gwen whispered apologetically.

"Yes, Gaius said you need rest. I understand completely. Go straight to bed Gwen- physician and king's orders," Arthur said. Gwen gave Arthur a quick kiss on the cheek, then left. '_She's definitely hiding something, but what?'_ Merlin thought.

Arthur kept asking for more wine as the night progressed, and he stayed until most people were making their way from the feast. Gwaine, who loved to party, was the only knight of the round table left at the feast. Merlin noticed Arthur was started to get a little tipsy. Arthur must have noticed too, as he stood up a little unsteadily and thanked everyone for coming to the feast, and then proceeded to slowly leave the great hall. Merlin stood next to him, in case he had drunk too much, and became a little too unsteady on his feet. It was unusual for the king to drink quite so much, but Gwen being back was reason to celebrate, and Merlin knew Arthur was under a great deal of stress at the moment so Merlin hadn't tried to stop him. '_Trying to stop Arthur from doing anything he really wants to do is pointless anyways; best to pick my battles.'_

They made it to Arthur's chambers without incident. '_He must not have had as much wine as I imagined. He seems fine.' _Merlin changed Arthur out of his feast attire in silence, then guided him over to him bed. Arthur sat, and then stared at Merlin.

"You are amazing. Do you know that? Like, really cool," Arthur said. '_I take it back, the wine is definitely hitting him._'

"Oh? And here I thought you thought I was a lazy, good for nothing servant," Merlin said with a laugh.

"What? Well, yes, but no! You know how to do things. Really cool things, like start fires and save people," Arthur said, pointing to Merlin so he was sure to know who he was talking about.

"Not always, I can't always save them," Merlin replied. Arthur seemed to sober up slightly at that. He put his hand on Merlin's arm who was standing close to the bed.

"It's not your fault Merlin. I owe you my life, and Camelot owes you. One day... one day everyone will know how amazing you are. It will be wonderful!" Arthur said with a laugh as he let go of Merlin's arm, and fell back onto his bed. _'It would be nice if he thought this way when he hadn't been drinking. Maybe there is hope though. Maybe it's not just the wine talking._'

"Do you want me in Camelot Arthur?" Merlin asked the question he hadn't dared ask before. It was quiet, and Merlin stepped closer, thinking Arthur had passed out, but Arthur suddenly sat up, causing Merlin to stumble back a step in surprise.

"You are not allowed to leave Merlin," Arthur said and he grabbed onto Merlin's wrist, then layed back down, dragging Merlin back to the edge of the bed.

"Arthur, I don't want to leave Camelot. You can let go of my wrist," Merlin said and gave his arm a yank, but was unsuccessful in freeing his wrist.

"Yes you do. I've been a complete dollophead. I can't treat you like you deserve to be treated because I'm probably wrong about you. I don't want to make a mistake, and have my people suffer for it again. I'm too trusting, and I'm wrong about everyone- Morgana, Agravain, even Gwen. I really want to be right this time. I want you to be my best friends still, not an evil sorcerer. You aren't right? Yes, I know you aren't...but I just need to talk to Gwen," Arthur said as his eyes closed.

"Soon Arthur. You can talk to her about it soon... And you can trust me, I promise," Merlin said as he watched Arthur's breathing steady. He slowly pulled his hand free, not finding any resistance this time.

"Goodnight Arthur," Merlin whispered as he left the room. He was touched by his friend's words, even if they weren't exactly coherent. _'Now to figure out what is wrong with Gwen.'_


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the deley, but at least this is a long chapter! I had some health issues this week, and this chapter was complicated plot wise. It required a lot of thought and planning to fit all the pieces together in the way I wanted them to fit together!

As always, thanks for following, favoriting, and reviewing this story! Whenever I feel like just sticking to reading instead of writing, I read the reviews, and I feel like I should keep going because at least some people are enjoying this! :)

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Chapter 9

It had been several days since getting drunk at the feast, and Arthur had not brought the incident up with Merlin. The morning after, Gwen had shown up with breakfast before Merlin had arrived so he had ignored the topic. Then enough time had passed that he felt reluctant to bring it up. After all, he couldn't remember every word spoken, but what he could remember was downright embarrassing. He blushed slightly thinking about how he had gone on about how amazing Merlin was. He was barely reconciling to himself the fact that his longtime friend was also a powerful sorcerer; and although Arthur was starting to admit to himself that all magic wasn't bad, he was not ready to tell Merlin that- especially since he felt like his ability to accept Merlin's magic kept going back and forth like a pendulum. If only he could fully trust him, things would be much simpler. Thankfully Gwen showed up soon to distract him from his thoughts.

"I'm ready! I must say Arthur that I'm impressed you remember the anniversary of when we met. It is time for some celebrating! After all, Elyan is looking better," Gwen said as she entered his chambers. Arthur kept the fact to himself that it was Merlin who had reminded him of the special date.

"Let us depart then. Merlin should be waiting with the horses in the courtyard," Arthur said, grabbing Gwen's hand. Gwen looked lovely in her purple gown and braided hair. She also seemed happier than normal. It made sense that she would be sad and reserved with Elyan so badly injured, but Arthur had felt a distance between them as well that bothered him. This morning though she was all smiles, and he was hopeful that their ride celebrating their relationship would bring them closer together again, distracting her from her worries about Elyan and her time with Morgana. Gwen had been reluctant to talk about the details of her time spent with the evil witch, and Arthur didn't feel that it was right to press for details of her detainment. '_She'll come around to telling me eventually_.'

Merlin was indeed waiting for them in the courtyard, being on time for once. Gwen smiled at Merlin, taking the reigns of her horse and taking the lead riding out of Camelot.

"Come on slowpoke," She said to Arthur, riding ahead, and taking the north west path that bordered the forest. Arthur rode faster and quickly caught up with her laughing, and falling in place beside her. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw that Merlin was taking the hint and riding a few paces back for once. He gave a brief nod of appreciation, then turned to look at Gwen again who was smiling at him brilliantly, and looked ready to say something.

"Boom!" Arthur saw a flash of light to his left, and his horse sprinted forward towards the forest. Mid-gallop, Arthur found himself falling from his horse. He quickly rolled to the side to avoid being trampled. As he hit the ground, the breath was knocked out of him, and rolling to his feet, he winced in pain. His whole side felt bruised, but he didn't have time to dwell on that. Arthur looked around for danger, knowing something, or likely someone, had spooked his horse.

Four bandits ran from their hiding place behind the trees and attacked. Arthur did not have time to think, trusting his instincts, he sprinted towards them. He engaged the first one and knocked him over with the force of his running blow. As he turned, the other two reached him, and it took all of his focus and skill to hold them both off. He finally got a cut on one of their legs, causing one of the assailants to momentarily fall back, and with only one facing him he was able to quickly dispatch him. Then turning to the one who was now coming back to attack again, he blocked the attack, and used the man's momentum against him, slashing him across the back as he ran past.

Arthur paused, looking for the fourth bandit, and found him lying dead a little ways away. It looked like a tree branch fell on him. He turned to Merlin who was with Gwen, and nodded to him. That seemed to break the stillness, and Merlin and Gwen ran to him.

"Arthur, are you all right?" Gwen asked as she reached him, looking him over critically, then pulling him into a fierce hug. Arthur tried not to flinch as his bruises protested. Looking over Gwen's shoulder, he saw Merlin staring at Gwen suspiciously. He looked up and met Arthur's gaze, and he looked worried. Arthur tilted his head to the side, and gave him the 'what's bothering you' expression, to which Merlin mouthed, 'later.'

Gwen finally let go, and insisted they go back to Camelot, where Gaius could take a look at him. Arthur rode on Gwen's horse with her, and Merlin rode, pulling Arthur's horse along behind him. When they dismounted, Arthur went over to his horse and looked at the broken saddle.

"It's been cut," he said. '_Who could have had access to my saddle_?'

"We'll find the culprit, rest assured Arthur! You and Merlin go to Gaius, and I'll talk to the knights to start the investigation," Gwen said, giving Arthur one more squeeze of the arm, then rushing off. Arthur started walking towards Gaius chambers, but looked at Merlin expectantly.

"The broken saddle confirms this was a deliberate attempt on your life Arthur. You, I, and Gwen are the only ones that knew we were going out this morning, and Gwen is the only one that knew the direction we ended up going," Merlin said.

"Are you accusing Gwen of attacking me Merlin! And your facts are incorrect. All the knights knew I was taking Gwen out this morning, and the bandits could have just tracked us from the woods as we left the castle," Arthur said fuming at Merlin for accusing Gwen. Merlin held up his hand in a placating gesture.

"It's more than that Arthur. She's been different since she's been back… and you didn't see her expression when you were attacked. She didn't look worried at all."

"Maybe she just has more faith in me than you do!" Arthur said.

"She had faith in you after you fell off your horse, then were attacked by four men? I don't think you could have survived that unscathed if I hadn't dropped that branch on the fourth attacker… and it was more than just not worried. It was a harsh grim expression, and when you killed the final attacker, for a second she seemed disappointed," Merlin said. Arthur couldn't believe it. He would not doubt Gwen's loyalty to him.

"Listen Merlin, I'll talk to her about it. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation," Arthur said. Merlin sighed.

"Alright, but _please_ don't mention me. Not now," Merlin pleaded.

"Fine," Arthur agreed reluctantly. Now Merlin was asking him not only to fully trust him, but to not trust Gwen. '_Merlin, must you always make this difficult for me._'

* * *

Merlin wished he wasn't always fighting Arthur about things. _'At least Arthur isn't pulling out his sword to fight every time he's mad at me_,' Merlin thought with a sardonic smile. Of course he couldn't blame Arthur for being mad, and he knew he wasn't really mad at Merlin, just the situation; which Merlin could understand because he was pretty peeved at Morgana for the whole Gwen situation too.

Merlin had been talking to Gaius for awhile about Gwen, sharing his concerns, and asking his opinion. Unfortunately Gaius hadn't noticed anything peculier in Gwen's behavior, but he had only seen her a couple times, when she had come to check on Elyan. Elyan was currently sleeping, allowing them to have a frank conversation.

"Are you sure she looked disappointed when Arthur wasn't killed?" Gaius asked for the third time. Merlin sighed. He noticed he had been doing that a lot lately.

"I am fairly certain Gaius. I just need some proof to show to Arthur. He doesn't want to believe she would betray him like this," Merlin said.

"Yes, it would take a powerful enchantment for Gwen to betray Arthur, but if anyone is capable of it, it is Morgana," Gaius said, "I will look into it."

The knights had brought Tyr, Arthur's stablehand, in for questioning that morning, and Arthur had sentenced him to death. Merlin knew in his heart Tyr wasn't responsible. Tyr's pleas of '_I'd never do anything to hurt you- you are my king_!' haunted him. He had to prove that Tyr wasn't responsible, and that Gwen was, but how to do that was eluding him.

"I'm going to go talk to Tyr. He knows something, but is too afraid to say it," Merlin said.

"Just be careful Merlin. If Tyr is too afraid to talk to save his own life, he must have a good reason," Gaius said, giving his ward a meaningful look. Merlin nodded his agreement, and left for the dungeons. He swung by the kitchens on the way so he would have a valid excuse for his visit. It worked as the guards just nodded him through when they saw the food.

"Tyr, I brought you some food," Merlin said, as he entered the cell.

"Thank you Merlin," Tyr said, still looking at the ground. Merlin sat down next to him, finally causing the man to look up in surprise.

"Tyr, I know you wouldn't hurt the king. I know you wouldn't," Merlin said, trying to show his faith in the man, and hoped Tyr would trust him in turn.

"Of course not, Merlin. You know I'm loyal to the king," Tyr pleaded. Merlin nodded and paused, trying to think of how to learn the truth.

"Tyr, why are you protecting the person who did try to hurt the king?" Merlin asked. He did not want to load on the guilt, but wanted to understand what was motivating the man. Tyr did not say anything. "I'm your friend Tyr. I can help you. I can talk to Arthur and get you out of this situation. Please let me help you." Tyr nibbled nervously on his lip for a minute, then seemed to come to some decision.

"I just can't Merlin. They said they'd cut my mom's throat if I talked. I just can't do it," Tyr said.

"Who Tyr, who said that?" Merlin asked. Tyr did not answer, and Merlin could see the fear in his eyes. He would not answer Merlin, but if Arthur asked him, he might answer then. "I'll be back Tyr," Merlin said and left to find Arthur.

It wasn't too hard to find him, as he was in his chambers. The annoying part was that Gwen was there too. She was leaning over whispering in his ear as they sat next to each other. This sent shivers running down Merlin's spine. What was she capable of in her current state? She wouldn't do something to Arthur directly would she. Even if she was under some enchantment that Merlin couldn't perceive, it wouldn't be strong enough to cause her to physically harm Arthur. Surely not, their bond was too strong. He still felt nervous about their close proximity.

"A little late for you to be barging in, isn't it Merlin?" Arthur asked. He didn't really seem annoyed. Arthur was just giving him a hard time because he enjoyed giving Merlin a hard time. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I just talked to Tyr, and he basically admitted someone was threatening his mother to keep him from saying who is really responsible. You should come talk to him. I think he might tell you if you ask him in private," Merlin said. Arthur nodded his agreement, but Gwen grabbed his arm before he could follow Merlin.

"Arthur, if he just confessed all that to Merlin, you should wait until the morning to go to him. He's said all he will say for now I wager, but if you let him think things over, in the morning he will talk to you. I'm sure of it. And you promised to come to bed with me now," Gwen said, looking at him pleadingly.

"That does make sense Gwen. Alright, Merlin I will talk with him in the morning," Arthur said. Merlin wanted to yell at someone. He wasn't sure if it was Gwen or Arthur, but he was really getting sick of this. He settled on an overly cheery smile as he tried not to glare at Arthur.

"Of course Sire. Whenever it's convenient for you," he said and stalked off, ignoring looking at Gwen. He didn't want to see her smug look of victory at the moment. Instead he went straight back to Gaius's chambers and went to bed. Gaius was already asleep when he got there so he figured he would just wait and inform him of the situation in the morning.

He had fitful dreams all night. He kept running through a long stone corridor and opening doors, knowing the answer to Gwen's affliction, the truth of what was really happening, was behind one of them. He knew if he did not find it, Tyr would die. He was sure of it. As he ran, Morgana's laughter echoed off the walls, mocking him, knowing he would not find the answer in time. He awoke to knocking.

"Merlin," Gaius said, entering his room, "they just found Tyr's body. He is dead. Did he tell you who was behind this?" Merlin felt his heart constrict in anguish. He had failed Tyr.

"No. He told me they were threatening his mother to keep him quiet, and I think he would have told Arthur in private, but Gwen convinced him not to go to him last night. She convinced him to wait until morning and now he is dead." Merlin felt like staying in bed, but they were all in danger. He had work to do. He got up, and went out to eat breakfast with Gaius.

"It's not your fault Merlin. Don't blame yourself my boy," Gaius said, breaking the silence as they ate their breakfast. '_But if only I could have figured it out sooner._'

There was a knock on Gaius's door and Gwaine and Leon entered, with Gwaine leaning on Leon slightly. Leon helped Gwaine over to sit next to Elyan, who was sleeping. Merlin had put Elyan in a light trance to speed up his recovery. At least that was one person he had been able to save. Gaius thought in a couple days, Elyan would be well enough to return to his chambers.

"Gwaine, are you all right?" Merlin asked in concern.

"Yes Merlin, merely a twisted ankle. Honestly I just need to walk it off, but Leon insisted I see Gaius," Gwaine said with a smile and a shrug.

"That is because he was thrown off his horse," Leon said sternly.

"Tell me what happened," Gaius said to Leon, ignoring Gwaine.

"After Tyr's body was found, Arthur sent us out on patrol in the woods around the city to try to find the person responsible. We came across two hooded figures talking, and they ran when they spotted us. We thought we could easily catch them on horseback, but they were aided by magic. Gwaine was thrown off his horse, and I stopped to help him," Leon said.

"And you are sure it was sorcery?" Gaius asked, concern furrowing his brow.

"It was definitely sorcery; like a hand grabbing me and yanking me off my horse. I'm fine though, landed on a soft bush. Only rolled my ankle a little," Gwaine said. Merlin and Gaius shared a look.

"I need to go inform Arthur so I'll leave Gwaine in your care," Leon said, leaving immediately. Gaius felt Gwaine's ankle, and nodded, seeming to agree that it was only a slight sprain.

"Gwaine, I'm convinced whoever is responsible for trying to kill Arthur and for Tyr's death has an inside knowledge of the castle and lives here in Camelot, and is mostly likely reporting to Morgana," Merlin said, causing Gwaine's eyebrows to raise, "Will you do something for me?" Merlin asked.

"That is a scary thought. Of course I will Merlin," Gwaine said.

"Keep a close eye on Arthur for me. I fear someone on the inside could attack at any moment," Merlin said.

They heard a sound from the door, as it seemed to creak slightly causing all three of them to peer at it expectantly. For a second nothing happened. Then the door was quickly pushed in.

"Excuse me Gaius, I did not mean to intrude. I just came to check on Elyan, and I heard you all talking, and didn't want to interrupt a private conversation," Gwen said, with what seemed to Merlin, a very fake smile plastered to her face.

"Oh no my lady, you are not interrupting. Elyan is doing about the same, but he is sleeping now. Perhaps you will want to come back later today when he is awake." Gaius said. Gwen nodded and hastily made her retreat.

"Merlin, we should go to the woods and see if we can find any trace of the traitors. If they left anything behind when they fled, it might be the clue we are looking for," Gaius said. Merlin nodded and grabbed his pack in case they found something. Gwaine wanted to come, but Gaius insisted he limit his walking for the day.

As they walked out to the forest and searched, Merlin ran through everything he knew, and all he suspected. Gaius was still researching what Morgana could have done to Gwen. Knowing it must be a powerful spell, perhaps only to be performed by a priestess of the Old Religion, helped limit his search, but it was still taking too long. They needed proof, which is why they were following the tracks and Gwaine's directions. Merlin spotted something purple in the thorn bush. It was a torn piece of fabric. He showed it to Gaius.

"This is fine embroidered silk. Only the wealthiest of Camelot's court could wear something so expensive," Gaius said.

"Gwen." Merlin ran back towards the castle, ignoring Gaius's calls to not be hasty. It could have come from Morgana after all, but Merlin had a feeling.

He ran through the castle passageways, ignoring everyone in his path. He almost collided with a serving girl carrying a load of linens, but managed to dodge her at the last minute. He entered the royal chamber and went to Gwen's wardrobe. He looked through dresses of red, gold, pink, and lavender, but none were quite the right shade, and Merlin had seen her in a blue dress this morning. Perhaps he was wrong after all, but his magic was screaming a warning.

"Merlin, do you have a good explanation for what you are doing right now?" Arthur asked, looking at him as if he had lost his mind. "If you need some laundry to wash, I have a basketful right here that you have been neglecting all morning."

"Well you see I was out with Gaius and…" Merlin started before Arthur interrupted.

"Listen Merlin, I'm sorry about Tyr, and I know we have things to discuss, but I have a meeting with the council, and then Gwen and I are having a special dinner to make up for the anniversary ride that went so poorly. She insisted it just be the two of us, and I think it will be a good opportunity to get her to open up about what happened when she was with Morgana. We can talk in the morning," Arthur said.

Merlin was about to protest and tell him about Gwen's eavesdropping and the fabric he found, but just as he opened his mouth the door opened. Gwen walked in, going straight to Arthur and embracing him. She gave Merlin a slight smirk over Arthur's shoulder. _'She knows I suspect her,_' Merlin realised. He took the laundry and quickly left towards the laundry room. On his way, a little petite girl stopped him- Gwen's maid, Deya.

"Merlin! I'm so glad I caught you. Gwen wants me to find her a special hair comb to wear to her dinner with Arthur tonight, and I have no idea what to get at the market or where to look. Will you go with me? I'm worried if I go by myself, they will take advantage of me since I'm new to the city, and they will overcharge me or sell me something fake. I was so worried about it, and Gwen said if I was worried, to ask if you would accompany me. You will, won't you Merlin," she pleaded.

"Of course, I'm sure it won't take long. I can show you where those kinds of things would be sold. I'm sure you have better taste than me though," Merlin replied as he dropped the laundry off, then reluctantly followed her out to the market. _'Gwen did this on purpose to distract me_,' Merlin thought with annoyance.

Deya spent a long time trying to decide on the right comb, then an equally long time haggling with the merchant. Merlin looked up at the sun, and decided he better get back and do his own chores. Arthur would be done with the counsel meeting. If Deya didn't hurry, she wouldn't even get the comb to her mistress before the dinner. Merlin avoided pointing that out, and slipped away when the merchant was wrapping the comb up.

He made it back to the laundry room and sighed as he sat down next to the pile of laundry. Sometimes he just brought Arthur's laundry to his room, and he used his magic to wash it, but with the current climate, he figured he would listen to Gaius and be cautious with his magic use.

After he had scrubbed all of Arthur's clothes clean, he noticed something in the bottom of the basket that did not belong to Arthur. It was a dress. It was Gwen's dress. Merlin quickly pulled out the scrap of fabric he had found in the woods, and compared it to the dress. It was a match. '_I was right._' A sudden dread filled him. He had strongly suspected it, but he had his doubts that Gwen was working with Morgana. It was so hard to believe, but now he knew the truth. Arthur was in danger.

He sprinted up the stairs towards Arthur's chambers. They would have started their dinner already. Surely Gwen wouldn't attack Arthur, but the dread wouldn't go away. Something bad was about to happen or already had.

He ran into Arthur's room, briefly noticing the door was open. Arthur was in his bed, looking pale. Gaius and Gwen were by his side and several of his knights were present as well. '_No, I can't be too late. I can't be!_'

"I'm sorry Gwen. It doesn't look good. The poison is fast acting and lethal. I would be surprised if Arthur lasts through the night," Gaius said, settling down next to Arthur.

"This is a betrayal of the worst kind. It had to have been someone who knew the castle, and who even had access to the king's food. I can only think of one person who this could be," Gwen said, then paused for effect. Merlin started feeling sick. "It must be Merlin. Guards, arrest him," Gwen said. Merlin found himself dragged to the dungeon between two guards, his mind consumed with worry for Arthur. There must be something he could do. Gaius couldn't be right. Arthur couldn't die tonight. He wouldn't let him.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This chapter was fun to write. :) Don't hate Arthur at the end of the chapter. There is an explanation for it! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

* * *

Chapter 10

Merlin found himself pacing the small cell, wanting nothing more than to blast the bloody door off its hinge. He needed to get to Arthur, and he needed to get to him now. His friend had looked so pale, and Gaius said he wouldn't survive the night. Merlin guessed he had only been in the dungeon for an hour or so, but every minute counted. _'I should just do it, blast the door open. I have to protect Arthur, even if my secret is revealed.'_ He had just about decided to do it, when he spotted a familiar form on the other side of his cell door.

"Merlin, come here my boy," Gaius said. Merlin obliged, walking to the cell door and leaning against the bars. "Arthur will not last much longer. The hensbane is lethal and acts quickly. You need to act now. You are Arthur's only hope," Gaius whispered to him, and handed him a small vial. Merlin looked at him in surprise, then nodded in determination.

Merlin waited a couple minutes after Gaius's departure, then cast his spell. After that, he unlocked his cell door, barely refraining from blasting it off. This was meant to be a stealthy mission. Now to get past the guards. He started boldly walking past them, when the nearest guard put his hand on his sword hilt.

"Who are you?" The warry guard asked.

"What kind of a foolish question is that? I am who I am, and I am who I was, and I am who I will always be," Dragoon the Great said with much consternation.

"That's no answer," the other guard sputtered out.

"What other answer is there? It is the only answer worth giving," Dragoon explained.

"What are you doing here?" The first guard asked.

"Incredible! You follow one idiot question with another. I'm visiting the cells, as you perfectly well know."

"No you're not. Not unless we say so, you're not."

"But you already said so. Only ten minutes ago you said so. You said so and I did so!

"No we didn't," the first guard said.

"What on earth is wrong with you? Something interesting in your tea is there? It's hardly a wonder your prisoners are being murdered if you can't remember who you are letting in and who you are letting out. You let me in! And I thank you for that, and apparently I have to let myself out. Good day to you, and good riddance," Dragoon said, brushing past the guards and exiting the dungeons. He stealthily walked down the corridors, and he was almost to Arthur's room. Stopping, he drank the potion Gaius had given him to de-age himself. He had just broken a wall sconce, distracting the guards outside Arthur's door, when Gwaine spotted his shadow and sounded an alarm. '_Why did I tell him to keep such a close watch on Arthur,_' he thought as he ran.

He was finally forced to run outside the castle, with Camelot's knights, his friends, trailing, too close for comfort, behind him. He jumped to the side of the steps, hiding behind a cart, and making all the lights in the courtyard go out. Then he held his breath.

"Sorcery," he heard Leon whisper.

Merlin stood completely still until the knights had moved farther away. Then he crept towards Arthur's window. He couldn't believe he would be climbing all the way up to Arthur's window. Taking a deep breath, and steeling his nerves, he started climbing. His fingers started to feel numb on the cold stone, and he struggled to find handholds. '_I will not look down, I will not look down._'

He finally reached the top, and pulled himself onto the window ledge. Gaius and Gwen were sitting by Arthur. Gwaine entered and walked over to them.

"My lady, we have an intruder. It is not safe here. I need to take you to your quarters," Gwaine said.

"Oh, but I can't leave Arthur now," Gwen argued, "he doesn't have much time left."

"Do not worry my lady. I will inform you immediately if there is any change," Gaius reassured her. Gwen finally nodded and followed Gwaine out. Merlin pushed the window open and dropped into Arthur's room causing Gaius to start in surprise.

"Merlin, thank heavens! He doesn't have much time."

"I got delayed," Merlin said as he rushed over to Arthur. He put his head to Arthur's chest and closed his eyes, letting his magic sink down into Arthur. He had to strain to hear his breathing. "The sickness is so deep in him. I don't know if I have the power to bring him back."

"You can do this Merlin. Have faith in your abilities," Gaius said.

Merlin closed his eyes again and poured all of his magic, his hope, and his will for his friend to survive into Arthur. Then he said the incantation for the strongest healing spell he knew. Staring at Arthur, he looked for any change. He saw none.

He walked away, and couldn't help himself from crying. He had failed. '_If only I'd gotten here sooner. I could have saved him. I know I could have saved him!_'

"Merlin," Gaius whispered.

Turning back to the bed, Merlin looked at Gaius, then he looked at Arthur. Arthur was breathing normally again, and some color was coming back to his pale face. Gaius leaned over and felt Arthur's pulse, then smiled. Merlin couldn't help it, he laughed.

"You did it my boy. Arthur will live. Now you must get back to the cells before you are missed," Gaius said. Merlin glanced at the door.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

"By going back the way you got in of course," Gaius said. Merlin looked towards the window and groaned. He hated climbing, and climbing down was _always_ worse.

* * *

Arthur slowly opened his heavy eyelids. He felt like he had just recovered from some illness. He assessed his body, and didn't feel any aches or pain, but he felt groggy and exhausted. '_What day is it anyways?_' He finally looked around his room and saw Gaius sitting by his bed, and Gwen was next to him.

"Oh Arthur, Gaius was right! You are better!," Gwen said, embracing him. Before he had a chance to return her affections, she had let go. "I must go tell Elyan the good news!" she said and rushed out of the room. '_Huh?_'

"What happened?" Arthur asked. His throat felt dry.

"Here, Sire. Drink some water," Gaius said, handing him a cup. He was able to weakly reach out for it and take a sip of water. He felt some of his strength returning with the water. "You were poisoned yesterday evening."

"What! How? By whom? Where is Merlin?" Arthur asked, his foggy thoughts becoming more confused.

"We do not know for sure. Gwen thought it must be someone close to you, and she threw Merlin in the dungeon," Gaius said, then paused, seemed to consider something. He then continued, "Merlin snuck out and healed you last night. It was a close thing though. He barely made it in time. The poison was very potent and would have killed you had Merlin not arrived when he did."

"Thank you for telling me Gaius. I should...," Arthur said, trying to push himself up, but falling back into his bed. '_I need to get to the dungeon to talk to Merlin._'

"Sire, you must rest a little longer. After a couple more hours of sleep, you will feel much better," Gaius said.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but he realised Gaius was right. He couldn't even get out of bed on his own. Talking to Merlin would have to wait a little longer. Arthur thought to tell Gaius something, but before he could remember what it was, his eyes were closed again. Sleep quickly claimed him.

* * *

Merlin woke to a sore back and a parched throat. Looking around, he remembered he was in the dungeons. '_Would it really be that inconvenient for them to put a mattress in here? How many innocent people have been thrown in this cell? They could be a little more considerate_.' Merlin hoped they would bring him some food soon, or that Arthur would wake up and have him released. He was still in shock that Gwen would go that far, to actually poison Arthur herself. Hopefully Gaius was making progress on figuring out the enchantment she was under.

"Ahem," Merlin heard a woman's voice from the cell door, and might have fallen over if he had been standing. He stared at Gwen for a moment in shock, then stood up.

"Merlin, Merlin, Merlin, I'm really disappointed in you. I thought we were friends. I thought you would have told me your secret," Gwen said, mocking him. Merlin's blood ran cold. '_She can't know. He said he wouldn't tell her._'

"Gwen, how is Arthur?" Merlin asked. Maybe she was just guessing, and he did not want to confirm it for her.

"He's fine Merlin, as you probably know. I'm guessing you are the one that healed him?" Gwen said.

"Oh good! I'm so glad he is better...but what are you talking about Gwen? I've been in the dungeon all night. Gaius must have figured out an antidote to the poison," Merlin said.

"Merlin, stop playing games. I know you have magic. He told me," Gwen said. "You must be the elusive Emrys. Morgana told me to keep an eye out for you, but I must admit that I never would have suspected that you, of all people, had magic if you hadn't been betrayed. How does it feel to go through all that effort to save him, only to have him betray you?" Gwen laughed cruelly. Merlin didn't have an answer for her. The silence stretched on for a few moments, then she turned and left. Merlin didn't doubt she would go straight to Morgana with this information; if she hadn't already.. _'He promised he wouldn't tell her. Why won't he trust me! What do I have to do for him! I would never betray him, but he betrayed me at the first chance he got!_'

It had only been a couple minutes when Merlin heard footsteps coming towards his door. '_Maybe they finally are bringing me some food._' He had considered breaking out and going after Gwen, but that would alert the whole caste to the fact he had magic, and he didn't know what shape Arthur was in.

Merlin looked up and saw the man he had been thinking about standing outside the dungeon door. Merlin felt a wave of anger pass over him, but tried to push it aside. Arthur still looked rather weak. Merlin decided he wouldn't be the first to speak, and just glared at Arthur.

"Merlin… I am truly sorry about this. I never would have thought she would have thrown you in here. Do you know who poisoned me?" Arthur asked. '_He still doesn't realise. Does he never listen to me!'_

"It was Gwen, Arthur. Like I told you, she can't be trusted. Morgana has her under an enchantment, and now that you told her I have magic, I'm sure she is going straight to Morgana now. You just betrayed my secret to my greatest enemy!" Merlin said, his anger bleeding through his words by the end.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked. '_Will he not admit Gwen poisoned him_.'

"A couple minutes ago she came down here and admitted to me she works for Morgana, and that she knows about my magic. And if you won't start trusting me, we are all going to die," Merlin said, his anger growing at every word. Arthur stared at him for a moment in shock, his eyes wide.

"I'll be back," Arthur said, and he ran back up the dungeon stairs. Merlin was surprised he could run. He would still be weak from the poison. '_He could have at least released me before he took off_,' Merlin thought, then another thought occurred to him, '_Arthur is the only one who knows he didn't just release me._' Merlin ran over to his cell door, and unlocked it. '_Idiots probably run off to get himself killed_.' He walked casually past the guards.

"Thank goodness that misunderstanding is cleared up, and the king released me," Merlin told the guards sheepishly. They looked at him, but didn't dare say anything.

He couldn't see Arthur when he exited the dungeons. He used his magic to cast his vision forward in both directions he could have gone, and saw him heading towards the castle entrance. Merlin sprinted to catch up, and wished they had at least given him some water this morning. He felt lightheaded, and his throat was parched.

When he caught up with Arthur, he skidded to a stop in complete shock at the scene before him. Gwen lay on the ground unconscious. Arthur stood overtop of Gwen with his sword drawn. Leon looked on, a couple feet away, with his mouth open in shock, and his hand touching the pommel of his sword. Merlin blinked and no one moved.

"I think I missed something. What just happened?" Merlin asked. His words seemed to propel Arthur into action, and he swooped down, and picked Gwen up. He started to walk towards Gaius's chamber, and then stopped and looked back at Merlin and Leon expectantly.

"Well, Leon. Merlin. Follow me," Arthur said, then turned back around, carrying Gwen, and continued walking.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I honestly was not trying to keep you all in suspense. I just found this chapter really hard to write. I had a lot of decisions to make about how I'm ending this story, and I kept changing my mind, and wasn't happy so I kept re-writing it in my head. I also was just feeling zero energy for writing, and had to force myself to sit down and write so I really hope it turned out ok, and that you all like it. I wanted to end this chapter a little later, but it was just taking too long so I decided to stop it here. I do have most of the next chapter planned out. I just need to sit down and write it! Please review as it will motivate me!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

* * *

Chapter 11

Arthur gently put Gwen down on the cot, where Elyan had been residing. '_Gaius must have finally released him._' Arthur felt nauseous; gripped with the reality that Gwen had betrayed him and was working for Morgana, and the guilt weighed down his shoulders as he slumped forward. He could not believe that he had been forced to knock her out.

"Arthur, what in God's name is going on?" Leon asked. Merlin looked to be restraining himself from making some snide comment, and just looked on expecting an explanation. '_Figures he would follow me out of the dungeon_,' Arthur thought, but he did not have it in him at the moment to feel annoyed. He had gone down to release Merlin after all. Gaius also chose that moment to return to his chamber, a look of surprise also gracing his stern features.

"What happened to Gwen?" Gaius asked. Arthur swallowed. He couldn't put them off any longer. He refused to wallow in self-pity. He would fix this.

"Leon, there is something you need to know. I found out that it was Gwen who poisoned me…" Arthur said, and before he could continue, Leon interrupted.

"It can't be! She would never Arthur! Not Gwen!" Leon protested.

"I was hesitant to believe it at first as well Leon, but it is true. Not of her free will though. When she was a captive, Morgana put her under an enchantment," Arthur said. Leon looked to Gaius for confirmation. Gaius nodded.

"No... what can be done?" Leon asked.

"You must tell no one of this Leon. We must act normally in case Morgana has other spies in our midst. In fact, I need you to leave now. I'm supposed to be conducting a training session with the knights. I want you to cover for me. No one should suspect anything. They will assume I'm still recovering from the poisoning," Arthur said.

"I understand sire. Was it really necessary to knock…," he started, but Arthur silenced him with a glare. "I will go at once your majesty," Leon bowed formally, and quickly rushed out to avoid Arthur's wrath. Arthur's eyes fastened onto Gwen again in sorrow.

"What happened Arthur?" Merlin ground out. Arthur could tell Merlin was still furious with him, but refused to take his eyes off of Gwen.

"I couldn't let Gwen tell Morgana you had magic. And what if Morgana punished her for failing to kill me. I couldn't let her go," Arthur said. His mind flashed back to what happened minutes before, replaying events in his head.

"_Gwen, stop!" Arthur called as he spotted his wife headed towards the castle entrance. She glanced over her shoulder, then hesitated. Arthur doubled his pace, willing his weak muscles forward. _

"_Arthur there is something I must do now, an errand I must run for Elyan. I'll be back soon," Gwen said, turning back towards the door. Gwen was about to exit the castle. He pictured the scene they would make fighting, perhaps physically, in front of his people. He had to act now. She wasn't listening. Leon was heading towards the door as well, but Arthur was much closer. He was the only one that could stop her._

"_Gwen, stop!" he attempted one last time, but was ignored. He lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. He then saw her reach for the hidden dagger she kept in her cloak. Making a split second decision, he drew his sword with lightning fast reflexes and knocked Gwen unconscious. Leon had reached for his sword and looked at Arthur in shock._

"She wouldn't stop and I was forced to knock her unconscious."

"Better inside the castle, then knocking her out in the courtyard," Merlin said.

"That was my thought as well… but I wish it hadn't come to this. What is to be done? Gaius do you know the enchantment she is under?"

"There was a ceremony of the high priestess that I heard rumors of in my youth that had a similar result- a shift in loyalty. It took me forever to find it, as I couldn't remember the name, but it is an ancient ritual called the Tiana Diaga," Gaius said, but seemed reluctant to continue.

"So how do we cure Gwen? Can Merlin cast some spell to break the enchantment?" Arthur asked hopefully. '_Merlin, please be able to fix this_," he thought, glancing at his friend.

"I'm sorry sire, but it isn't that simple. The ritual uses the mandrake root to bring unimaginable terror to the victim. When it is finally over, their will is no longer their own. They are slaves of the high priestesses for eternity. I know of no way to bring Gwen back to us," Gaius said. Arthur was momentarily dumbstruck by this news. Morgana would pay for this.

"Gaius, is there anyone who has more knowledge than you on the Tiana Diaga?" Merlin asked.

"I can only think of two people who truly know the old ways. One is Morgana Pendragon. The other is the Dochraid."

"Who is this Dochraid?" Arthur asked.

"She is a mysterious creature; a product of the Old Religion. If anyone knows how to fix this it would be her, but she cannot be trusted. If you go to her Merlin, she can never know your true identity." Gaius said. Merlin nodded his understanding.

"Where is she?" Arthur asked.

"She lives in a cave in the forest of Namit. I do not know the exact location, but I'm sure Merlin can feel her presence once he gets to the forest. Her evil permeates the entire forest, and most people avoid it," Gaius said. Arthur understood the danger, but this Dochraid seemed to be their only chance of saving Gwen.

"Alright, we should leave at once Merlin," Arthur said, finally turning his full attention to Merlin.

* * *

"We? Arthur you are not coming with me. You should stay with Gwen," Merlin said. '_If Arthur doesn't trust me and can't keep my secret, he'll just be a liability on this mission,_' Merlin thought coldly, _'and his mind is on Gwen anyways_.' He could not remember the last time he was this mad at Arthur.

"Who is the king here? I am coming with you. I cannot do anything for Gwen sitting here," Arthur said.

"And you think you can do something against an ancient, evil, magical creature?" Merlin asked.

"I'm coming with you Merlin, and that is final," Arthur said with a glare.

"Fine," Merlin ground out, and went and grabbed his pack and cloak from his room. Arthur and Gaius were talking when he returned.

"Merlin, how long do you think you will be gone. We must decide what to do with Gwen," Gaius said.

"I know the situation is dire. We can't have Gwen wake up, and we can't have Morgana suspecting anything, at least until we have a plan. I'm hoping to be back in a few hours," Merlin said. Gaius's eyebrow rose.

"Really Merlin, you are going to go that route, with Arthur?" Gaius asked. Merlin knew Gaius had figured out his plan so he merely nodded. He knew anything he said would betray that he didn't really care what his royal highness thought of him at the moment.

"Alright, if you think it's necessary. I should be able to give Gwen a sleeping drought, and if I don't move her, she should stay out for at least a few hours. We'll need to come up with another solution if we need her out for longer though," Gaius said.

"We'll deal with that when we get back Gaius, and thank you," Arthur said.

"I'll swing by the armory, get your armor, and meet you in the courtyard," Merlin said to Arthur as he quickly left. Arthur had looked like he was about to say something, but Merlin ignored him. He quickly went to the armory and gathered the king's armor, thanking his lucky stars he didn't run into any of the knights on his way. Arthur was already waiting for him by the fountain.

"I told Leon we will be gone for a little while, and to tell anyone that we are going on a hunting trip," Arthur said. _'Well at least that takes care of what we are doing if we are spotted. As long as no one notices the lack of bow and arrows,'_ Merlin thought. He nodded to Arthur and kept walking past him. He noticed that Arthur hadn't moved to follow him.

"Well, are you coming with me or not?" Merlin asked. He knew he sounded petulant, but he couldn't find it in himself to forgive Arthur. '_At least not yet_.'

"Yes Merlin, but don't we need horses?" Arthur asked.

"No, follow me," Merlin said. Arthur surprisingly followed Merlin as he wound his way through the courtyard, through the gates, and into the forest. Merlin rarely dared what he was about to do in broad daylight, but he figured that it was not like anyone could really condemn him, when the king of Camelot was on his heels. They soon reached the large cleaning. He looked at Arthur briefly and considered asking permission before summoning his friend, but as they say, '_Better to ask forgiveness than permission._'

"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" Merlin yelled. Arthur looked at him in shock.

"What in the world was that?" Arthur asked. Merlin had a brief happy thought of Kilgharrah showing up, and Arthur in shock, falling on his backside. He soon thought better of it though.

"I called the dragon, Kilgharrah, to give us a ride. It is the only way to get to the Dochraid without her feeling us approach, and in time to be back before Gwen is awake… and hopefully before Morgana suspects anything is amiss," Merlin said.

"A dragon? What dragon," Arthur said frantically, "I killed the last dragon!"

"Arthur, I lied. You didn't kill it. I'm a dragonlord. I told him to leave Camelot and never return unless I called him, but you don't have to worry as he won't harm us. I am his kin, and he believes you and I have a great destiny together. He believes that we are two sides of the same coin, and that I will help you bring peace and unite Albion, like the prophecies of Emrys I told you about," Merlin said. Then he quickly continued, cutting Arthur off before he could interrupt, "He was angry when he first escaped and wanted revenge against your father who imprisoned him, but he has no ill will towards Camelot now, and he helped me save Camelot many times with his knowledge and wisdom. Also, I did not become a dragonlord until Balinor died so I couldn't stop him when he first attacked. I know you have many questions, but we don't have time. Just trust me this time. Please trust me Arthur," Merlin said.

"Fine Merlin, but if you are wrong about this…," Arthur let the threat hand in the air, then continued, "and I expect answers when this is over," Arthur said. Merlin nodded. "But at least tell me…" Arthur started, but was interrupted by a large gust of wind that descended upon them as Kilgharrah landed in the clearing.

"Well this is unexpected. I presume the king found some things out since we last talked, young warlock," Kilgharrah said with some amusement. Arthur was staring at him with his mouth wide open. "King Arthur," Kilgharrah said with a slight nod of his head. Arthur snapped his mouth shut and seemed to come out of his trance.

"Kilgharrah, I presume. It is good to make your acquaintance when we are not at odds," Arthur said, "and I thank you for any aid you have given to Camelot."

"You are welcome. What do you need me for this time young warlock," Kilgharrah said addressing Merlin again.

"The queen has been enchanted by Morgana. It is a very strong enchantment of the Old Religion. I must seek out the Dochraid to see how to reverse it. Gwen is completely in Morgana's thrall. She poisoned Arthur yesterday with hensbane, and I was barely able to heal him. She is unconscious now, but we need to act before she wakes and before Morgana realizes something is amiss." There was a long pause.

"I can take you to her Merlin, and return you, but then I must be on my way. I cannot help you again unless the situation is dire. My main priority now needs to be finding Aithusa. She has been missing for too long for the age she is. It's a fragile time in a dragons' development, and she will need me," Kilgharrah said.

"How is she missing? Yes, I understand that you must find her," Merlin said. '_Hopefully she can't get into too much trouble on her own._'

"Who exactly is Aithusa?" Arthur asked.

"I'll tell you later Arthur. We must leave now," Merlin said and quickly got on Kilgharrah's back. Arthur eyed him incredulously, but quickly followed, sitting behind Merlin on the great dragon's back. Kilgharrah took off to the east.

"All I know is that the Dochraid lives in a cave in the forest of Namit. Do you know anything more of where she resides?" Merlin asked.

"I have flown near the forest, and I have sensed the Dochraid's evil. I have avoided flying over it. We will be able to sense her whereabouts as we get closer. Finding her will not be the problem," Kilgharrah said.

They flew for an hour and then reached the forest. Merlin half expected Arthur to pepper him with questions, but he had remained silent. Merlin was surprised and relieved. Kilgharrah was right about the forest. When they started flying over Namit, he could sense the evil. Every instinct in him screamed to go in the opposite direction, but Merlin had to face this great evil, whatever the cost. Even the air felt oppressive and heavy. They passed over a small lake, and Merlin did not doubt the water there was poisonous.

"We're almost there," Merlin said. He could feel the pulsing darkness growing stronger, and he knew they were almost at its heart. Kilgharrah started flying lower, and soon Merlin spotted a cave under a giant tree.

"That's it!" Merlin said. Kilgharrah slowed down, and landed in a nearby clearing. Merlin scooted down, and quickly turned himself into an old man. It wouldn't do for the Dochraid to see him as Merlin. Arthur started to follow him.

"This is as far as you go Arthur," Dragoon said.

"Excuse me? I've come this far; I flew on a bloody dragon. I'm not staying back now," Arthur said.

"The Dochraid cannot connect us to each other. I am almost certain she will realise I am Emrys, but she doesn't know Emrys is Merlin, and she doesn't know that King Arthur is aware of Emrys. Morgana thinks I only help from the shadows, and that you would never accept help from a sorcerer. It is an advantage that we cannot afford to give up," Dragoon said.

"You turned into Dragoon first so you'd seem wiser didn't you?" Arthur said. Merlin gave him his most innocent old man look.

"I am always wise. It's not my fault you do not always recognise my sagely advice for what it is," Dragoon said. Arthur scoffed.

"Fine. I'll give you fifteen minutes, and if you are not out by then, I'm coming in after you," Arthur said. Dragoon rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Hasty, always so hasty," Dragoon muttered under his breath as he went towards the cave.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hello readers, thank you so much for sticking with me, and for reviewing and following my story! I can't believe that after not writing fanfiction for over 10 years, I decided to write such a long story. I really do enjoy reading long stories though so I guess it's not that surprising.

I plan on having 3 or 4 more chapters (but don't hold me to it, lol) after this one so the story is nearing its end. I don't plan to include Mordred in this story so sorry if you were waiting for him to show up. Maybe I'll include Mordred in my next story…. after I've forgiven him, lol. And Morgana? You shall see. ;)

* * *

Chapter 12

Arthur went and sat on a tree stump several feet away from the ginormous dragon. He was not afraid of it, of course, but who willingly stands that close to a fire breathing dragon. Arthur had planned on sitting quietly, waiting for Merlin, but he could not stand the tension in the air, and he did not want to think too hard about the situation he found himself in.

"So who is Aithusa?" he asked. '_I cannot believe I'm talking to the dragon._'

"A young dragon that I must find," Kilgharrah replied.

"But I thought…," Arthur stumbled over his words. He was sure Kilgharrah was the last dragon. '_How is this even possible?_' Kilgharrah picked up on his confusion.

"I was the last dragon, until Merlin found a dragon egg, and hatched it," Kilgharrah said. '_He did what!_' Arthur's jaw dropped open, then he took a moment to compose himself.

"I see, and you say this dragon is missing? That sounds...dangerous," Arthur said in what he hoped was a diplomatic manner.

"She knows to stay away from people so she should be safe, but it is highly unusual that I cannot find her. Her instincts should be to find her kin...," Kilgharrah said, then paused, staring at Arthur, "but that is all you need to know on the matter young Pendragon."

Arthur sensed that the dragon's worry had caused him to say more than he normally would have. It surprised Arthur that the dragon had been willing to converse with him at all. Maybe there was something to what Merlin said about the dragon believing the Once and Future King prophecy. '_Merlin...he better be out soon. I don't care if he stole Excalibur from me, and is some all-powerful warlock. All it takes is one hit to the back of the head, or watch him trip in the dark cave, and get himself in a compromising position,_' Arthur sighed.

"How did you and Merlin first meet?" Arthur asked, trying to distract himself from running straight into the dark, evil cave. _'If Merlin is not back by the time Kilgharrah answers this, I'm going in.'_

* * *

Dragoon entered the cave, and soon could not see his hand in front of his face. He had a feeling this put the Dochraid at a distinct advantage. He lit a small ball of light and cast it hovering in front of him. The darkness pulsed with growing intensity ahead, and he knew he must be close.

"Who dares enter the sacred cave?" came a gravelly voice, clearly marked by age. Dragoon shone his light in the direction of the voice and saw what he presumed was an old woman, if she could be called that, covered in rags, with her back to him.

"I come to petition the Dochraid," he said in his most humble voice.

"Give me your hand," the Dochraid commanded. He felt sick at the idea of it, but knew it was necessary, and he gave the Dochraid his hand; he was trying not to flinch at the evil rolling off of her.

"I smell the enmity from you," she shrieked, "you are Emrys!" She looked up at him, and pierced him with her scarred over eyes. It felt like she could see him clearly, even without natural vision.

"I come in peace," Emrys said.

"You are no friend of the Old Religion. No friend of Morgana Pendragon. I know what you seek. Your queen is doomed, and her spirit is consumed. Her body is nothing, but an empty vessel that is filled by the will of another," the Dochraid said. It was a challenge to show no ill intent, and yet show strength. He needed information, but the Dochraid would attack any perceived weakness.

"I will get what I seek," Emrys said. The Dochraid laughed.

"I am the ancient Dochraid! You dare challenge me, you puny sorcerer?"

"And yet I will get what I came for," Emrys said as he drew Excalibur from beneath his robes. The Dochraid looked unsure of herself for the first time.

"What, you think a sword can harm me, you ignorant fool!" the Dochraid said, but took a small step back.

"This is no ordinary sword, as I am sure you can tell. It was forged in a dragon's breath, and it can kill you. Now tell me, how do I save the queen?" The Dochraid was quiet for a moment, then drew herself up, glaring at Emrys.

"You must travel to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. There you will need all of your powers, for you must summon the white goddess herself. I would like to see you attempt that Emrys," the Dochraid mocked. He held his sword up to her neck.

"Is that all that must be done? I will kill you if you lie to me." Emrys said. In the back of his head he was thinking that this was taking too long. Any minute Arthur was going to barge in and _save _him, and ruin everything, and probably get them both killed.

"She must go into the water willingly. If she does not, she will fall into the abyss and be lost forever," the Dochraid said. Emrys withdrew his sword, and as he did the Dochraid struck out towards him. He had expected the attack, and was able to dodge it. He retaliated by stabbing her. She was still very much alive and angry after that so he quickly made his escape.

He walked towards the entrance of the cave, and sighed in relief as the sunlight soaked into his weathered skin. '_And Arthur says I'm no good with a sword,_' he thought smugly as he returned Excalibur to its spot under his robes. He then pulled out his potion, and turned back into his younger self. This was also a relief, as being an old man might have its benefits, but it also had its drawbacks. It was also just a comfort to be in his own familiar skin. The meeting with the Dochraid had been deeply disturbing. '_Thank goodness Arthur didn't come into the cave, although it is a little surprising._'

Merlin made it to where he had left Kilgharrah and Arthur. He was a little worried by this point that something had happened while he was gone that prevented Arthur from heading into the cave, as soon as Merlin was out of view. The sight that greeted him was quite shocking. Kilgharrah was exactly where he had left him, with a seemingly amused expression, and Arthur was shaking. He was laughing so hard that he was shaking!

"What is going on here?" Merlin asked. He almost wished he had stayed as Dragoon a little longer to give his voice a little more authority. Arthur finally noticed his presence.

"Oh Merlin, Kilgharrah here was telling me some very interesting stories about you. I had no idea that you had dressed up as…," and here he broke off into laughter again. '_He would tell Arthur that story_!' Merlin had tried very hard to forget it, but it seemed Kilgharrah was determined to have it remembered. Arthur quickly sobered up though as he looked at Merlin.

"Are you alright? Did you get the answer we sought?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, and I know how to save Gwen," Merlin said stiffly.

"Good, tell me!" Arthur said.

"We don't have time Arthur. I'll tell you when we get back. Just know there is a way," Merlin said, "lets go Kilgharrah." Merlin climbed up on Kilgharrah's back.

"Fine. Can I at least have my sword back?" Arthur asked. Merlin looked back at him in shock.

"What?" he asked.

"You know, Excalibur? My sword? I let you take it, assuming it might help you with the witch, but I'd like it back now," Arthur said climbing up behind Merlin.

"How in the world did you know?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin, it is fairly difficult to hide a large sword in your garments, even if they are billowy robes like yours. I noticed it immediately," Arthur said. '_The prat...he could have said something sooner_.' Merlin was glad Kilgharrah chose then to take off and Arthur could not see his embarrassed expression. It was also impossible to talk with the intense wind so he didn't have to continue the conversation.

Merlin felt his mood improve as they soared higher in the sky. He loved flying, and felt a grin tugging at his lips. He discreetly glanced back at Arthur and saw his friend looked tense, but had a slight smile on his face as well as he looked down at the rolling hills of his country.

The ride was over quicker than Merlin would have liked, and as soon as he slid off Kilgharrah's back, everything hit him again, making him feel a little unsteady on his feet. All his anger at Arthur, his doubt that he could cure Gwen, and his worry that Morgana could be waiting for them around any bend, all weighed heavily on him.

'_Goodbye young warlock. Until we meet again,'_ Kilgharrah said in his mind as he flew in the sky again, leaving Merlin and Arthur in the clearing. It was a quick walk to Camelot, and they needed to hurry. Merlin took off towards the castle. Arthur followed close behind, but didn't seem content to stay quiet like Merlin had hoped.

"You are still mad at me, aren't you?" Arthur said.

"Of course I'm still mad at you!," Merlin said as he continued to stalk towards the castle, his boots creating waves in the puddles that occupied the cobblestone path.

"It's not really my fault Gwen threw you in the dungeon Merlin, and I can't help it if she figured out you had magic. I told you she was good at reading us," Arthur said. _'I can't believe him!_'

"I am mad at you because you said you wouldn't tell her I had magic, and you did anyways! Did you plan to tell her the whole time or was it a spur of the moment decision?" Merlin asked. Arthur looked at him strangely.

"Merlin, what are you talking about? I didn't tell Gwen." Arthur said. That was it! That was the last straw! They were now inside the castle, and Merlin turned to confront him. '_The spoiled, arrogant prat won't even admit it!_ _He just wants to pretend it never happened_.' He was going to punch him, '_the self absorbed, idiot_!' Merlin took two steps towards him and raised his fist.

"Sire! You've returned! The knights of the round table know something is amiss. I think you should talk to them before they stir up trouble and inadvertently alert others," Leon said. '_Alert Morgana_.'

"Of course. Have the knights meet me in Gaius's chambers," Arthur said, looking at Merlin with a raised eyebrow worthy of Gaius, then turned and headed towards Gaius's chambers himself. Merlin followed behind, his anger sinking down to a low simmer.

They reached Gaius's room and the only occupants were Gwen who still seemed asleep, and Gaius who was faithfully watching over her. Gaius looked up when they entered, and his haggard expression turned into relief. He stood up and walked over to them, giving Merlin a quick embrace. '_He must have been worried about me facing the Dochraid_.'

"Sire, Gwen remains asleep. I think, however, she will awaken within the hour. Was your mission successful?" Gaius asked.

"Yes, Merlin…," Arthur began, but stopped as Leon, Percival, Gwaine, and even Elyan entered the room. Elyan looked fully recovered, and Merlin had to smile at that. He was so sure when he saw Elyan near death in the tower that he would not be able to save his friend.

"Is now a good time sire?" Leon inquired, even though they all looked like they would not be leaving before they had answers. '_Leon, he is always the first to show Arthur loyalty and deference. He's probably half the reason Arthur has such a big head._'

"I suppose that now is as good of a time as any," Arthur said.

* * *

"Gwen is enchanted. She is the one that poisoned me with the hensbane, and she almost caused my death on a couple occasions," Arthur said. He had tried to think of a better way to say it, but there really wasn't one, and the direct path was often the best.

"What? That's impossible!" Elyan was the first to react, his eyes bulging.

"When Morgana held Gwen captive, she cast a powerful enchantment on her. Gwen's will has been destroyed, and it will not be easy to get her back," Arthur said, and waited a minute for that to sink in.

"This whole time since she has been back then...you are saying that she has been under Morgana's control?" Elyan asked in disbelief. Arthur knew Gwen had spent a lot of time at Elyan's sickbed, and the news would be shocking.

"Yes, her allegiance is completely to Morgana, which is why something needed to be done. Gaius said that the only person who knows how to break such an enchantment, besides Morgana, is the Dochraid, an ancient evil being. Merlin and I have just returned from her cave, and we found a way to cure Gwen."

"What were you thinking! Why did you not bring us with you?" Gwaine asked, giving Merlin an especially annoyed glare.

"We had to hurry as Gwen would only be unconscious for so long, but it was also to preserve appearances. Morgana must have a close eye on Camelot, and it is likely she has other spies. If all of my knights suddenly disappeared with me right after the poisoning, it would be obvious that something was amiss. But I intend to rely on you fully now, on all of you. Merlin, do you mind telling them what the Dochraid said. I'd like to sit by Gwen," Arthur said. Merlin looked at him for a second, then finally nodded. Arthur went to sit by Gwen, more anxious than his knights to hear what the Dochraid had said, but trying not to show it.

"The Dochraid confirmed that Gwen's will is gone, and we cannot break the enchantment by any ordinary means. We must take Gwen to the Cauldron of Arianrhod, which is a couple days ride from here. So the first problem will be how to keep Gwen from waking up. Besides the trouble we would have keeping her from escaping, Gaius believes Morgana and Gwen have a deep connection, and we are worried Morgana will be able to find us if Gwen is awake," Merlin said.

"This will be difficult," Gaius said, and then paused to consider it. "I do believe the only thing strong enough to keep Gwen in a deep sleep for such a journey is a tincture of belladonna. You will have to give it to her every few hours, and she can take it for no more than three days."

"What will happen if she takes it longer?" Arthur asked. There was a long pause.

"The body will not tolerate it. She would die," Merlin volunteered. Arthur nodded in thanks. He needed to know.

"This is a risky venture then," Elyan said, eyeing his sister sadly.

"Yes, but no more risky than having a traitor in our midst. It must be done to get Gwen back," Gaius said, "she is not the Gwen we know and love now, and we will not get her back unless we act."

"And what do we do once we reach the Cauldron of Arianrhod?" Leon asked.

"We must have her enter the pool there willingly," and here Merlin gave a significant look to Arthur, "and we must summon the white goddess so cure her."

"Ahhh... last time I looked, magic was still forbidden in Camelot, and even if we decide to break the law, which I'm not saying we shouldn't, where are we going to find someone powerful enough to summon a goddess?" Gwaine asked. Arthur decided it was time he spoke up.

"There will be a sorcerer at the Cauldron of Arianrhod who we will petition to cure Gwen. I know it is breaking my own laws, but even before this, I had been doubting the wisdom of some of my father's decreases. It seems that sometimes sorcery can only be fought with sorcery…" Arthur said. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"We have seen the evils of magic firsthand, but I am willing to do what it takes to cure Gwen," Elyan said. The rest of the knights nodded their assent. Arthur slowly let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"I will begin making the tincture at once sire. It should not take me long," Gaius said. Arthur nodded to him, then looked at his knights. This was going to be a difficult journey. He prayed Morgana didn't find out about it.

"Alright men, I want you to retrieve your armor and meet me with your horses in the courtyard. Leon, I need you to tell the council that we've received a petition from the village of Trenton. They have requested our aid against some brigands, and with it being only a days ride from Camelot, I felt the need to take care of this matter myself, along with my closest knights," Arthur said. He knew he should talk to the high council members himself, but he didn't have it in him to lie to them at the moment. He felt bad enough keeping things from his knights. He soon realized everyone but Merlin and Gaius had left. Merlin stared at him with his arms crossed.

"So are you going to tell the knights as well that I have magic?" Merlin asked.

"Do you not want me to?" Arthur asked. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"When does what I want ever matter to you?" Merlin asked, their argument escalating again.

"Sire, you should go soon. The sooner you leave with Gwen the better," Gaius reminded him.

"You're right Gaius. Merlin, gather our supplies and meet me in the courtyard. I will take care of Gwen," then Arthur paused, they really didn't have time for this, "lets go at once, we'll talk about this later." Merlin headed towards the door, and Arthur went over to Gwen, stroked her forehead tenderly, then gathered her in his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I usually switch between Merlin and Arthur's POV, but this chapter is all Merlin's POV. I finally get to explain something in this chapter that I've been dying to explain. :)

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Chapter 13

The first day of their journey had been uneventful; no bandits jumped out of the trees to ambush them, no lamia lured them in, no questing beast attacked Arthur, and Morgana remained hidden, and hopefully distant. This should have put Merlin at ease, but it did the opposite. Every time a twig snapped, he felt his shoulders tense. Arthur had also been trying to get his attention, and discreetly pull him aside, but Merlin had been ignoring him. He knew it was childish, and they had important things to discuss, but in his defense, the knights had been hovering, keen to protect Arthur from any danger, and it would be hard to have a conversation that would not be overheard. At least that is what he kept telling himself. It had nothing to do with still being mad at the prat.

When Merlin woke up the second morning of their trip, he knew he'd have to talk to Arthur. Arthur normally rode at the front on missions, despite how many times Leon and others had argued with him, but on this journey he rode carrying Gwen. They had convinced Arthur being in the middle was the safest place for her so he conceded his spot at the front. Merlin rode behind him, but Elyan brought up the rear of the party so there was no possibility of a private conversation while they were riding.

Arthur glanced back at Merlin, and nodded with his head that Merlin should ride next to him. Merlin gave him a slightly incredulous look. '_You can't mean to have this conversation now. We'll be overheard_,' he thought at Arthur. Arthur responded by rolling his eyes, and motioning again for Merlin to ride forward. Merlin looked up at the sun and noted it was nearly midday. He finally sighed and rode his horse up next to Arthur's, but kept silent. _'If Arthur wants to say something incriminating, he can be the one to put his foot in his mouth_.'

"Merlin, I've been concerned about you," Arthur said in a rather concerned voice, but when he looked at Arthur's eyes they did not look particularly concerned.

"Oh?" Merlin responded, not knowing where Arthur was going with this.

"Yes, you have barely said a word this entire journey, which is entirely unlike you,"

"Oh. I'm just antsy about Morgana showing up. You know how I am about magic sire," Merlin said. Arthur gave him a piercing stare at that. The other's weren't looking at them, but Arthur had started the conversation at a normal volume so presumably they could all hear everything that was being said.

"Merlin, you and I are going to have a talk about this magic business tonight. I know it makes you squeamish, but you are not avoiding this conversation with me any longer," Arthur said. '_The prat is making me sound like a complete coward,_' Merlin railed in his head, but a part of him agreed he had been being a bit of a coward avoiding Arthur. So he nodded curtly, and feeling completely embarrassed and chastised by his king, he dropped back to riding behind him. Gwaine was going to poke fun of him for this later. Merlin was only being spared for the moment because Gwaine was slightly ahead of them in the scouting position, but the man had incredible hearing so the ribbing would come later.

Merlin didn't know if the sun was going agonizingly slow because he was on edge and straining to sense danger or because he wanted the conversation with Arthur over and done with. Of course now the others would know to give them space tonight so it was a rather good plan he had to admit. Of course Arthur would come up with a plan that involved embarrassing Merlin. That is what the king was best at, after all. They had stopped for lunch hours before, and they would have dinner when they stopped for the night, which should be soon.

The ground was starting to get more treacherous as loose rocks and gravel increasingly littered their path. They would have to leave their horses on the final day, on the last leg of the journey to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. Gwaine seemed to have noticed the path getting dangerous as well because he fell back to Arthur.

"Sire, I think we should camp here tonight. The trees are thinning out. If we leave this last grove of trees, we will be completely in the open, and we'll have to start out on foot soon, with how rocky the path is becoming; which would best be done in the daylight" Gwaine said.

"You are right Gwaine, and from Gaius's directions, I believe if we camp here tonight, we will have only a few hours more until the Cauldron of Arianrhod in the morning," Arthur said.

"Gwaine and I will scout around a little to make sure this location is safe, and Percival and Elyan can see to the horses and start setting up camp if that is agreeable to you sire," Leon said.

"Yes, thank you Leon. Merlin and I will see to Gwen," Arthur said. Merlin was slightly surprised Arthur thanked his head knight. Merlin knew he wasn't just thanking him for doing his duty, but for giving Arthur a chance to talk to Merlin in private. He tried not to groan.

Arthur carefully lifted Gwen off of the horse, and carried her over to a patch of dirt under a tree. The tree's roots escaping the rocky soil and creating a little area that Gwen just fit in. The hard dirt was slightly better than having a rock for a pillow. Arthur took the tonic from his pack and gave it to Gwen. He insisted on administering it himself during the day, and at night he let whoever was on watch give it to her every couple hours. Merlin looked around, and noted that everyone was busy with their tasks. Percival was closest taking care of the horses, but still out of earshot. Elyan must have been off gathering firewood for Merlin didn't see him.

"We cannot put this conversation off any longer Merlin. We will be at the Cauldron tomorrow," Arthur said, "I am sorry I was forced to put you in an embarrassing position, but if you had not been avoiding me all of yesterday, we would not have had this problem." Merlin pinched his lips shut and did not say anything, but he did nod his head slightly. Arthur seemed to take it as an agreement, and continued.

"Listen Merlin, we don't have a lot of time so try not to be your stubborn self. I know you are still angry, but we need to put that aside for now. Morgana could show up at any moment, and we will be the most vulnerable when we are at the Cauldron- when you are summoning the goddess. We cannot have Morgana finding out you have magic, and she is expecting Emrys to lift the enchantment. It would throw her off completely if there was someone else performing the magic. Someone she didn't recognize," Arthur said.

"What are you suggesting Arthur?" Merlin asked a little puzzled. He did agree that would be the time he would be the most vulnerable. Arthur grinned and grabbed his pack he had next to him, and opened it to let Merlin look inside.

"Gaius gave me this. He said it used to belong to an old friend of his, and you had borrowed it before. I'm guessing for that story that Kilgharrah told me," Arthur said. There was no mistaking it. Arthur had brought the dress.

"You have got to be kidding me! It was bad enough doing it once. I am not changing into an old woman again! It wouldn't be that bad if I changed into Emrys to do the spell. Morgana might expect it, and it would confirm you know about my Emrys persona, but as long as she doesn't connect Merlin and Emrys it won't be that bad."

"The knights would recognize you as Dragoon the Great. They think you killed my father. If they see you, they will try to kill you and ask questions later. This is the only way Merlin. Unless you want to tell the knights right now. Shall I call them over?" Arthur asked. Merlin panicked. He did want to tell knights of the round table. They were his friends, and he did trust them, but it would be hard for them to adjust to him as a warlock. Percival's family was killed by magic, and they all despised Morgana. It would be helpful if they knew, but telling them before an important battle, where they needed to be focused and not be doubting Merlin, seemed like a bad plan.

"No, not now Arthur," Merlin said. Arthur opened his mouth, but Merlin cut him off, "Arthur, please just listen to me this time! Morgana could attack tonight for all we know. We cannot spring this on the knights now! It would be..."

"Merlin!" Arthur interrupted, "would you just be quiet! If you do not want me to tell them, I will not. It is your secret, and I respect that. Furthermore, I agree with you, the timing isn't right," Arthur said.

"Oh you respect that do you? Are you sure you won't be telling Leon as soon as my back is turned?" Merlin mocked, "because that is what happened with Gwen!"

"Merlin, I don't know where you got this idea in that thick skull of yours, but for the last time, I did not tell Gwen!" Arthur said. Merlin stared at him in disbelief. How could he still be denying it? His lies were making the betrayal so much worse.

"I know because Gwen told me you told her! After I healed you from the henbane poisoning, she came down to the dungeons and her exact words were, 'he told me...how does it feel to go through all that effort to save him, only to have him betray you.' I could tell she wasn't lying Arthur!" Merlin glared at Arthur, feeling his anger rise remembering how he had felt locked in the cell and betrayed. Arthur glared back.

"I think I might have an answer to that," a voice said from behind one of the nearby trees, causing Merlin to jump and Arthur to reach for his sword. Elyan stepped out.

"Elyan, what are you doing hiding behind a tree, and eavesdropping?" Arthur said in shock.

"Well, it is a bit of a long story, but basically," and here Elyan stepped closer and lowered his voice, "I know you have magic Merlin."

"Elyan, are you crazy?" Merlin asked, really hoping the man was joking and had not heard their whole conversation.

"No, Merlin. When you healed me in the tower, right before I passed out from the pain, I think I felt you healing me. I probably would have brushed it off as crazy as I was very disoriented at the time, but when I almost woke up during our journey home, the intense pain was hitting me, but before I could feel the full extentent of it, I heard you above me saying some words in a strange language and I was asleep again. Then I was in Gaius's chambers for almost two weeks recovering. You were usually very careful, but one time when you thought I was asleep you mentioned something to Gaius about your magic. I assumed Arthur must know," Elayn said, and then paused and looked down at his feet.

"I guess there is no use denying it then. Are you ok with me having magic?" Merlin asked.

"Well, I can't really argue with it, when you used it to save my life. Uhm, and like I was saying, I thought the king knew, and you had his blessing,"

"Yes, well. Arthur found out recently, and Gwen more recently," Merlin said bitterly.

"Yes... I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I needed to know if Arthur knew. I knew Gwen did not so I assumed Arthur did not as well, but I figured that you should tell him considering the circumstances, and you were going to talk about magic. I was going to tell you afterwards you should tell the king, if I didn't hear you confess your magic to him, but it appears I was wrong, and he already knows," Elyan said.

"Wait a minute. Elyan, you said you did not think I knew because Gwen did not know. How did you know Gwen did not know of Merlin's magic?" Arthur asked. Merlin started to suspect something and a knot formed in his stomach. Elyan hesitated and looked ashamed.

"Well, I really thought she would know so when she came in to tell me that you, sire, had been healed of the poison, I said the first thing that popped into my head. I said thank goodness Merlin was able to heal him. She looked at me strangely, and at first I just assumed she was shocked I knew so I told her how I found out. She nodded and smiled, but it hit me a couple seconds later that she must not have known. Before I could confront her about it, she ran off, saying there was something she had to do," Elyan said. Merlin stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. '_It wasn't Arthur_.'

"Oh," was all Merlin was able to get out.

"I found out about Merlin's magic right after Gwen was kidnapped and taken to the tower. Then I was going to tell her when we returned to the castle, but Merlin begged me not to. Something about a bad feeling; which I suppose was correct, even though at the time I wanted to believe we had saved Gwen and all was well. Thank you for your honesty Elyan, and we do plan to inform the other knights, but not until we have gotten Gwen back. I trust your discretion, now that you know only the three of us here know," Arthur said. Elyan nodded solemnly.

"Of course sire! And I am truly sorry Merlin for betraying you like that. If Arthur had not stopped Gwen when he did, Morgana would know your secret, and it would be my fault," and here Elyan turned to Arthur again, "Sire, thank you for acting so quickly to preserve Merlin's secret. He is lucky to have you looking out for him as well." Elyan then sensing they might have more to say to each other, left to get the firewood they would need for dinner.

Merlin stared at his feet, not quite having the courage to look up at Arthur yet. He felt horrible. He had believed that Arthur had betrayed him, and when Arthur had firmly denied it, Merlin had not believed him. He so desperately wanted Arthur to trust him, and yet he had not shown the same trust. He wanted to defend himself against the heavy accusation he knew he would see in Arthur's stare if he looked up, but his throat felt parched. He finally rallied his courage and looked into Arthur's eyes. Arthur did the unexpected. He smiled.

"I told you Merlin that I did not tell Gwen, but did you believe me? No… Let this be a lesson to you. _I _am the trustworthy one here. You did not see me going around lying to my best friend and my king about my identity. No, that was _you. _I would not betray you Merlin. I will not tell anyone that you have magic unless you want me to, and if I make you a promise, I will keep it. It is as simple as that, and even you should be able to grasp it," Arthur said. Merlin's eyebrows rose. Arthur was actually joking about it. He couldn't believe it.

"Aren't you furious with me for accusing you of something you didn't do?" Merlin asked, truly puzzled.

"Well, I can see how it was confusing with what Gwen said to you, but I hope next time you will trust me to not lie to you. Now that I know you are a warlock, the great Emrys, I need to learn to trust the new you, and you in turn will need time to learn to trust me with that information. Trust goes both ways, and we must learn to trust each other," Arthur said. '_When did he get so wise?_' Merlin thought. He was used to being the one with the sagely advice.

"Ok, I already trust you with my life Arthur, and I want to trust you with my secret as well," Merlin said.

"Of course you do. Like I said, I am obviously the more honest and trustworthy one. I do not have any deep dark secrets I keep from my friends, like a certain servant did," Arthur mocked. Merlin rolled his eyes. '_I take it back. He's still a dollophead._'

"Alright, alright, prat. You've made your point," Merlin said, but he couldn't help the little smile that crept to his mouth.

"Here, you'll need this," Arthur said reaching in his pack and shoving a black ball of cloth into Merlin's hands.

"Arthur, I will not…" but Arthur interrupted him.

"Quick, put that away before someone sees it. And start on the stew. Leon and Gwaine are back, and everyone is famished," Arthur said, shoving Merlin lightly towards the horses.

"Why I put up with...should mess with his food…" Merlin continued muttering under his breath and he quickly shoved the dress into his pack and grabbed the stew supplies. Maybe Morgana would attack their camp and there wouldn't be a need for the stupid dress. One could hope.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry this took a while! I had some health issues, and I was on painkillers that made me very groggy. I tried writing a couple times last week, but my brain refused to work. Now I'm back to being healthy, and I hope to have the next chapter up next week! Thank you so very much for following, favoriting, and reviewing my story! I greatly appreciate the encouragement!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

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Chapter 14

Arthur's eyes scanned the jagged rocks that he and his men steadily walked across. He did not bother sending a scout ahead, as their view was clear for miles. Their pace was slow; his eyes scanned the horizon for signs of Morgana, but the unstable rocks kept shifting under his feet, drawing his gaze downward. He would not have been as concerned about a misstep, but he did not want to risk dropping Gwen. Merlin had almost caused a landslide twice, but Gwaine had managed to grab him both times.

'_Merlin, that clotpole,' _Arthur thought. He was grateful that the misunderstanding had finally been resolved. He had not told Gwen that Merlin had magic, and being accused of it had made Arthur furious. Under normal circumstances, he might have been throwing things at Merlin when he continued making the accusations after Arthur's denial, but he was too concerned about Gwen to really get properly angry over it. Also, he needed Merlin to have his back. Summoning a goddess, and possibly facing Morgana at the same time; while Gwen was in her current state. He needed to know he could count on Merlin. He needed to rely on Emrys, which scared him, but if he was on good terms Merlin, then maybe Emrys would come through for him as well.

"Sire, I think that might be the Cauldron of Arianrhod," Leon, who was in the lead, said as he pointed ahead to a large body of water they were approaching.

"How exactly are we supposed to find this sorceress?" Gwaine asked, "I half expected her to magically appear as we approached."

"I am sure she is nearby. All of you split up and look for her, just don't wander too far. I'll wait here with Gwen," Arthur said, trying not to look too significantly at Merlin. Merlin met his gaze for a brief moment and then took off. As the knights spread out in their search, Arthur approached the rocky shoreline and placed Gwen a few feet from the lake. '_She looks so peaceful sleeping here.'_

"I saw nothing sire," Leon said, as he was the first back to Arthur. Percival followed closely behind, then Elyan. A couple minutes later Gwaine sauntered back, and shook his head. None of them had found the sorceress. Arthur really hoped Merlin would be back before Morgana decided to show up.

"Where is Merlin? I thought he would stay with Arthur..." Gwaine started to say, but trailed off as a figure in a dark cloak approached from the north. Arthur quickly rose to his feet and drew Excalibur.

"Who are you?" he demanded of the approaching figure. The knights all drew their swords and stood by his side.

"Who am I?" the woman asked, "Who are you, and what business do you have in this sacred place?" Arthur's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. Then he clenched down his jaw, willing himself not to laugh. The woman pulled at her dress in what Arthur could tell was obvious discomfort.

"Are you the Dolma, the ancient sorceress of the Cauldron of Arianrhod?" Arthur asked in what he hoped was a sincerely respectful manner, but he could not make eye contact with Merlin, who the woman obviously was, and found himself looking at the Dolma's wrinkled forehead instead.

"Who else would I be?" Merlin, the Dolma, responded sarcastically, her eyes glaring accusingly at Arthur as he glanced down; which was almost too much for him.

"I don't, well you must," Arthur sputtered, trying hard not to laugh as the Dolma shifted her dress at the bodice again.

"Does she look familiar to you?" Gwaine suddenly whispered to Arthur.

"There is something about her," Arthur whispered back.

"Why do you mutter?" the Dolma asked, again looked offended.

"Oh nothing, you just look familiar sorceress," Arthur said louder.

"Oh, is that so," the Dolma asked, looking flattered as she batted her eyelashes. "Of course that is impossible. No sorceress is welcome in Camelot," she said with a sneer directed at Arthur. Arthur had the decency to look a little abashed at that.

"Where is Merlin? What have you done with him sorceress?" Gwaine asked.

"Oh, the gangly boy?" the Dolma asked casually, to which Gwaine took a threatening step forward in response. "If you kill me, you'll never see him again. Do not worry sir knight. He will be returned to you once we are done here. He is my assurance that the king of Camelot and his loyal knights will not try to harm me."

"You know why we are here?" Arthur asked. He wanted to get started with the ritual as soon as possible. His spine was tingling with the danger of the situation. He was hoping he was not having one of Merlin's bad feelings.

"Nothing is hidden from… the Dolma," she replied with dramatic flair. Arthur caught himself rolling his eyes.

"Of course," Arthur said diplomatically, "so what must we do?"

"What we attempt will not be easy. If we fail, your queen will be lost forever." The Dolma said.

"I understand," Arthur said, and he did. This was his only chance of getting Gwen back.

"I will wake your queen. You must be prepared to get her to go in the water, but be warned all the magic that binds her will fight against it," the Dolma said.

"Then how can I succeed? You make it sound impossible," Arthur said, letting his frustration show. He knew Merlin would help him if he could, but Arthur did not have any magic. How was he supposed to breakthrough a powerful enchantment.

"You must reach the part of your queen which has remained untouched by the evil of Morgana," the Dolma said, some sadness seeping into her words.

"Is there such a part?" Arthur asked, feeling despair that he had been fighting, start to win in his heart.

"You must believe there is Arthur. Only you can do this," The Dolma said with faith as she knelt next to Gwen. _'He always has faith in me, even when I don't have faith in myself.'_ Arthur took a deep breath and looked around at his knights.

"I need you to give us some space. Gwen will be panicking when she awakens and I do not want her to feel trapped," Arthur said. The knights all backed off several paces, and Gwaine nodding silently to Leon that he would be on lookout duty.

The Dolma rose and took a couple steps away from Gwen, allowing Arthur to kneel down next to her. Gwen's peaceful expression slowly started to fade as her eyebrows creased, and her eyes suddenly popped open. She looked like a startled bird as she quickly sprung to her feet.

"What is going on here? Where have you brought me?" Gwen said in an angry panicked voice. The facade of the loving kind Gwen was gone. She was obviously done acting.

"Gwen, my Guinevere, you must listen to me," Arthur stepped forward and gently grabbed her arm, "you must enter the water."

"Your Guinevere? You stupid, foolish man. I was never your Guinevere, and I never will be. Let go of me!" Gwen yelled as she yanked her arm free and took several steps away from Arthur.

"Arthur it must be of her own will," the Dolma reminded him. He resisted the urge to physically lift Gwen into the water. Her vacant eyes were tearing him apart. '_How am I to do this? There is no love in her eyes for me.'_ "You must reach her, as only you can Arthur. You must do it or all is lost," the Dolma said, seeming to read his mind.

"Gwen, you loved me once," Arthur said, trying to remind her of her lost feelings.

"You are easily fooled Arthur. It was a trick, nothing more. A subterfuge to pass Camelot to its rightful queen."

"I don't believe that! Look at me and tell me you don't love me!" Arthur said. He knew those words were not Gwen's, but Morgana's. It still deeply hurt. "Look at me and tell me you don't love me!" Arthur said again, placing his hands on her shoulders, and was tempted to pull her into the lake.

"Arthur!" the Dolma yelled.

"Let me go!" Gwen shouted.

"Do you remember when I asked you to marry me? Do you remember what you said? You said, 'With all my heart.' That's what you said, Guinevere. That was no subterfuge. No trickery. With all my heart," Arthur said, and for the first time he saw something flicker in Gwen's eyes. She stopped struggling against his grip.

Arthur slowly let go of her, and started backing up slowly. With every step backwards he repeated the refrain, "With all my heart." He hardly dared blink as Gwen stared enraptured into his eyes. He noticed her breath hitched slightly as he backed up into the lake.

"With all my heart…" Gwen said softly. Arthur was almost afraid he had imagined it, but he extended his hand to her. She took a small step forward.

"Come," Arthur said, continuing to pour all his hope and love into the small word. Gwen came forward and placed her hand in Arthur's, her face unreadable. Arthur was afraid to look away at the Dolma, but he figured Merlin would act without him having to say it.

"Yfel gaest, ga thu fram thisselichaman. Bith hire mod eft freo. Ar ond heogonutugol sceal thurhswithan!" the Dolma said in a loud commanding voice. A bright white light enveloped both of them for a minute, and Arthur held his breath, and kept his tight hold on Gwen.

The light finally dissipated and Arthur looked at Gwen's face searchingly. She smiled a genuine Gwen smile and wrapped her arms around Arthur. He pulled her in for a kiss, and noticed a sound from the shore. He turned to look, and noticed the knights all cheering from the shoreline. Grabbing Gwen's hand, but not taking his eyes off of her, he walked her to the shore. When they reached it, Elyan grabbed Gwen and spun her around.

"I'm so glad you are ok. I don't know how I could have lived with myself if you weren't," Elyan said. When he released her, Gwaine shoved his way in and grabbed her hand, kissing it, which made Gwen laugh. Arthur, grabbed his wife back, and put his arm around her. He looked at the Dolma and noticed she had a rather large grin on her face, that she quickly masked when she noticed she was being watched.

"I owe you a great debt. All of Camelot does. If there's ever anything I can do in return… perhaps a new dress? Maybe a blue one to match your eyes?" Arthur could not help adding.

"Arthur!" Gwen admonished.

"Oh, Gaius told me she loves dresses. I meant no offense," Arthur said innocently. The Dolma was staring down at the ground. Arthur assumed to hide the daggers she was glaring at Arthur. There was a long pause, and Arthur wondered if he had gone too far with the dress comment.

"There is one thing," the Dolma finally replied.

"Name it," Arthur said, and he meant it. Arthur was watching her carefully and noticed the slight smirk on her lips before she schooled her expression and looked up.

"Remember what saved your queen. Magic and sorcery," the Dolma said.

"It was also sorcery that bewitched her," Arthur said. He did not want Merlin to think he was ungrateful. He just wanted him to understand that all the worst things that had happened to him in his life had been caused by magic.

"There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men. My request is that you remember this," the Dolma said, and Arthur knew what she meant. This was the first time Arthur truly witnessed the good magic could do, even if it was undoing evil magic. Arthur admitted to himself that he had enjoyed watching Merlin's magic. The fact that Merlin was Emrys, and that it was perhaps a good thing, finally sunk in.

"You have my word," Arthur said. He would remember this, remember that pure, good magic did exist. The Dolma smiled and gave Arthur a small bow. Arthur turned and started to walk away. The knights followed him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the Dolma asked, sounding slightly annoyed. Arthur felt for his sword, which was firmly in place. The Dolma sighed loudly in exasperation and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't think so…" Arthur said, puzzled to what she was referring to.

"The boy," the Dolma said, seeming to grow more irritated. '_What is she talking about?_' Then it hit Arthur.

"Ah… Ah. Of course. I thought everything had gone unusually smoothly."

"That boy was your surety, great king! Without him, your queen would still be lost," The Dolma said.

"I'm not sure that's quite true…" Arthur said, enjoying the Dolma's look of disbelief.

"And I say it is!" the Dolma said. Arthur raised his eyebrow at her, giving his most skeptical expression. She in turn, took two angry steps towards him, causing some of the knights to reach for their swords. "You owe him a greater debt than you could possibly know," she said. Arthur continued, with some difficulty, to keep his expression one of disbelief. "One day great king, you will recognize the true worth of those that surround you." She then gestured for them to leave, "Go." Arthur finally let his look of disbelief drop to be replaced with a wide grin.

"I think I already do. I would not be here today and Camelot would not stand without the actions of those around me. They will not quickly be forgotten, and your actions here today will not be forgotten either. I know how much I owe you," Arthur said, and with that he gave the Dolma a slight bow. Gwen and the knights followed suit. The Dolma's eyes opened wide and her mouth hung slightly open in shock.

"Thank you great king. It was my honor. I will send the boy after you," the Dolma declared graciously.

"That would be kind of you. This armor really could use some polishing," Arthur said, his smirk returning. The Dolma just rolled her eyes, nodded to Arthur and waved as they left.

* * *

The Dolma ducked behind a rock, and retrieved the pack that she had stashed there. She dug out the potion and swallowed it, turning back into Merlin. Merlin let out a sigh of relief. It was bad enough turning into an old man- turning into an old woman was too much to ask. '_I am so getting that prat back for this.' _ He quickly removed the dress, and put on his everyday clothes, and after he tied his red handkerchief, he let out another sigh of relief.

Merlin grabbed his pack, and hurried to catch up with Arthur. He had felt such relief at his success at summoning the goddess that he had almost forgotten the bad feeling he had been having all day. He had assumed he was just nervous about the ceremony, but the prickling sensation running along his skin suddenly increased. Merlin could see Arthur just ahead, and quickened his pace.

"Arthur! Above you!" Merlin yelled. He felt her presence seconds before he saw a streak of white head towards Arthur. '_Why would Aithusa attack Arthur?' _Merlin didn't have time to stop and think as he ran hard towards Arthur, but Aithusa would reach him first.

Arthur barely had time to hide Gwen behind a boulder before Aithusa was shooting fire at him. Merlin hoped she stayed there; she would be disoriented still from the enchantment being lifted. Leon and Gwaine brought their shields up in front of Arthur, and were able to temporarily block the flames. As Aithusa hovered for a moment in mid-air, Percival took a boulder and flung it at her. Aithusa, who had been facing the opposite direction, barely avoided it, but retaliated with a vengeance, knocking Percival off balance and sending him sliding down some rocks and out of sight.

Merlin finally reached them, sliding in next to Arthur. He looked around and did not see Morgana, but had a bad feeling that she might be nearby. Elyan, Leon, and Gwaine had their eyes locked on their current threat that was looping around and would soon strike again.

"Is that the young dragon Kilgharrah mentioned? I thought he said it would avoid people?" Arthur asked, swinging Excalibur in an angry motion.

"She isn't acting on her own, Arthur. I do not know how, but I fear she must be here on Morgana's orders," Merlin said, glancing around and giving Arthur a significant look. They were vulnerable, all out in the open- this was not good.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This is the last official chapter! Also note that it is longer than normal, 5,300+ words when my average word count per chapter is 3,000. Your welcome ;) I am planning to do a short epilogue, and possibly a short story about the first time Merlin was the Dolma that is alluded to in my story.

Thank you so much for reading! Thank you for following, favoriting, and reviewing this as well. You all rock. I really hope you all enjoyed it, and it was a pleasant distraction :) Peace and love be with you dear readers.

* * *

Chapter 15

The dragon was quickly closing back in on them. It made Arthur feel vulnerable that they had to focus on the large creature, when Morgana could be sneaking up behind them. He glanced around at the knights, then looked at Merlin who was also staring at the dragon.

"Merlin, we need to take care of the dragon quickly," he whispered to his friend. Merlin did not look at him, but nodded with a look of fierce determination in his bright blue eyes.

"Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai! Weas!" Merlin stepped forward and yelled as the dragon swooped in to attack. It veered off to their left, and they all watched it, transfixed to see if it would come back around, but it continued its flight to the north. No one dared move for a minute, but their dread quickly wore off.

"Merlin, what was that!" Leon yelled.

"Merlin, did you just command a bloody dragon?" Gwaine asked.

"No time! Yes, Merlin can talk to dragons, but this one was probably sent by Morgana so let's move!" Arthur commanded. Leon looked like he would argue for a minute, then nodded.

"I'm going back for Percival. He could be trapped under some rocks," Elyan said. Arthur and the rest of their party ran, as fast as they dared over the loose rocks, to the trees that were a couple miles away.

Arthur held Gwen's arm as they ran. He glanced at her ashen face; she must have felt starved and weak after not eating for days, but she did not complain. The plan had been to rest and eat when they reached the horses, but now that was too dangerous. Now they had to get as far away from their current position, as quickly as they could manage. Surely that dragon would report everything to Morgana, and he still had a nagging suspicion she was nearby. After all, she had probably learned of their journey and sent the dragon ahead to try to intercept them before Gwen was healed.

They were nearing the trees, and Arthur's hope rose. If they could make it back to the horses, they still might avoid a confrontation with Morgana. The wind suddenly picked up, and Arthur found himself slowing down and searching for the source. Out from behind a tree that they were running towards, emerged a hooded figure. The hooded figure started walking towards them, and Arthur put up his hand for his party to stop. He had a really bad feeling about this, and glancing at Merlin he could tell the feeling was shared.

The hooded figure walked to within fifteen feet of them, then threw back the hood of her cloak. It was Morgana, tall, fierce and angry. '_Of course she shows up now. She couldn't wait a few more minutes._' Merlin's sarcasm was wearing off on him. They all quickly drew their swords.

"Where is he?" Morgana said with loathing dripping from her words, and her cruel mouth turned down in a frown.

"Dear sister, who exactly are you asking after? I am not sure who this _he_ is you speak of," Arthur said.

"Don't try to play games with me Arthur! Where is Emrys? I can tell he cured Gwen somehow so you must know who he is and where he is!" Morgana shouted. Arthur carefully kept his eyes locked on Morgana, and tried to distract her so Merlin could do, whatever Merlin was good at doing in these situations.

"There was no Emrys. If you seek out some sorcerer you shall have to look elsewhere Morgana!" Leon interjected.

"He speaks the truth, Morgana. It was the Dolma, ancient sorceress of the Cauldron that cured Gwen. I do not know her personally, only Gaius knew she existed, but I am pretty sure she was a woman and did not go by Emrys," Arthur said. He took a moment to glance at his party, as if to seek their confirmation of his facts, but he really wanted to see Merlin's expression. It was not encouraging. Merlin's expression seemed torn. He kept shifting slightly like he wanted to get away and sneak back as Emrys, but was afraid to leave his friends, at least that is what he would have been thinking if he was Merlin, but whatever it was, it was not the confident expression he was hoping for. '_You better come up with a plan now Merlin. I cannot stall forever._'

"Do not try to lie to me! The Dochraid told me Emrys came to her to obtain the information on how to save Gwen. How did you know to come to the Cauldron of Arianrhod if not for Emrys?" Arthur's mind went blank. Gwen looked like she would talk, but Arthur squeezed her wrist. He did not think it wise for Gwen to draw Morgana's attention, especially in her condition; however, he really was not gifted in coming up with stories on the spot. Gwaine came to his rescue.

"Lady Morgana, it has been a long time. Not quite long enough, but still. I'd have thought you would have gotten over yourself by now. Not everything is about you and your blasted sorcerers. Us normal people can figure out things on our own you know. If you've got such a crush on this Emrys character, why don't you go find him if you think he is close by, and leave the rest of us alone?" Gwaine asked.

Morgana glared at him with her sparkling green eyes, and even Arthur had to resist taking a small step back; Morgana had always been intense. She waved her hand, muttered something under her breath, and Gwaine, and Leon who had been standing next to him, went flying several feet backwards. Thankfully they did not slam into any boulders, but their landing on the rocks had not been gentle and they both looked disoriented. Morgana had a pleased smirk on her face, and her eyes were temporarily diverted. Merlin took advantage of the distraction to act.

* * *

"Forp Fleoge!" Merlin shouted, sending Morgana flying. He then took several steps forward so he was between Arthur and Gwen and Morgana. Morgana did not stay down for as long as he would have liked, but he had gone for speed instead of a powerful spell. He then muttered a couple other small spells under his breath.

"Merlin!" Morgana screeched standing up, "not only do you poison me, pretending to be my friend, you also ignored me when I first discovered I had magic. You made me think I was alone!" Morgana accused. Merlin felt the guilt over the poisoning surface, but pushed it aside. He still didn't know if she had known Morgause's purpose when she returned to Camelot, but back then he _had _to stop her. He _had _to save Arthur and everyone else, and not telling her about his magic had been another difficult decision. Now he would never know if it would have helped her avoid her fear that had turned to rage, and her need for power so she would not feel helpless again. He pitied Morgana, but he knew the creature she had become. She would sell her soul for the throne of Camelot.

"Yes Morgana, I have made some difficult decisions, many of which I'm not proud of, and I'm sorry you felt betrayed, but that does not excuse what you have become. You enjoy inflicting pain and you seek power at any cost. You are very much like your father," Merlin said.

Morgana stared disdainfully at Merlin for a minute. Then a light of realization entered her eyes. Her eyes widened and she took two steps forward.

"Not only do you have magic...you are Emrys!" Morgana said, her face flashing through several emotions in seconds, first unbelief, then anger, then fear, then anger again.

Merlin wanted to glance behind himself to his friends, but he did not dare take his eyes off Morgana. He could sense that Leon and Gwaine had gotten up and were making their way towards Arthur. He was worried they would join him and get caught up in a flurry of spells.

"Yes, I am. Do you plan on doing anything about it or are you too afraid?" Merlin mocked, taking several steps forward so he was within six feet of her.

"Ablinn du; forlaet du nu!" Morgana shouted angrily and Merlin went flying backwards, landing a couple feet in front of Arthur, with his head tilted backwards. Arthur let go of Gwen and started to move towards him, but Merlin cracked one eye open and shot him a quick look, asking him to stay back. Thankfully the prat was not as dense as normal, and he got the hint.

Merlin could only see his friends and not Morgana with how he had landed, which was unnerving. Watching Arthur's shoulder's tense, he could tell she was walking towards him. He made his own body stay absolutely still and closed his eyes again.

"How the mighty fall...the great Emrys. I expected more," Morgana said. He could almost hear the swish of her dress as she got closer, and imagined how her beautiful black hair would be elegantly entwined around her shoulders. He remembered the small crush he had on her when they first met, back when she was a strong, compassionate woman, not the cruel monster that approached him. It was hard not to remember Morgana's kind eyes, even though he had not seen them for years. He knew it was even harder for Arthur who had known her his whole life. He would not make Arthur kill his sister. _'Good thing I cast that partial shielding spell.'_

Merlin felt Morgana's shadow fall over him, her darkness reaching out to him with caressing arms. He knew what she would cast, as he knew her mind. Fear nailed him in place. He knew Morgana wanted to watch him burn.

"Forbearne! Akwele!" Morgana said intending to burn him alive like Camelot burned all sorcerers. A flame started growing in Morgana's hands, then shot towards Merlin. As it reached him, it flickered out, only singing his hair slightly, but it left an acrid smell in the air.

"Ie her accigie aenne windraes! Faerblaed waw! Windraes ungetermed; ge hier! Ie de bebeod mid ealle strangesse daet du geblawest ond syrmest strange! Gespurn peos haegtesse!" Merlin yelled, throwing his hand towards Morgana. A whirlwind shot out of his hand sweeping Morgana off her feet. It threw her backwards, far out of sight. His own rapid breathing was all he could hear as he tiredly lifted himself off of the ground. Arthur rushed forward to help him up.

"That was awesome," Gwaine said as he joined Arthur in helping Merlin up. Merlin stood up, and after swaying a couple times, was able to stand on his own. That last spell had taken a lot out of him.

"What happened? Is she...dead?" Arthur asked. The knights were staring at him, wondering the same thing, and Leon was eying him suspiciously. Gwen took the opportunity to rush forward.

"Oh Merlin, are you all right? Thank you for protecting us. I know that could not have been easy considering," She hugged Merlin, then looked around at everyone, and gave Arthur a raised eyebrow, wondering how long he had known about Merlin's magic.

"I'm fine Gwen," Merlin said with a small smile for her. "Arthur, Morgana is not dead. She will be unconscious wherever she is, but I am not sure for how long. With a normal person that spell would kill them or leave them weakened for days, but with a high priestess, I'm not sure," Merlin said.

"Let us get to the horses then, just in case," Arthur said. Leon opened his mouth twice, then closed it again. Merlin could tell he was dying to ask about Merlin's magic. They quickly made it to the trees, and only had a little farther before they reached the horses.

"Sire, should we wait here or should I go back for Elyan and Percival?" Leon asked. Merlin looked back behind them and used his forward sight.

"We should wait," Merlin said with a smile. A minute later Percival and Elyan walked into the clearing. Percival had a slight limp.

"Don't wait on our account," Elyan said smiling.

"Percival, are you well?" Arthur asked.

"Yes sire, I just fell among some rocks that I had to dig myself out of. Elyan came along at the end and removed a pebble or two," Percival said causing the knights to laugh. "I sprained my ankle slightly, but as long as we don't have to go back to Camelot on foot, I'll be fine."

Arthur nodded his approval, and they mounted their horses after taking a moment to explain the Morgana situation to Percival and Elyan. Merlin looked at Gwen and noticed her fatigue was growing. Arthur would not ride the horses long before making camp. '_At camp they will want to talk about my magic_,' Merlin thought, but he realised he did not mind. Arthur was accepting him, Gwen was healed, and Morgana was defeated for now. All was finally going right for him.

* * *

They made it a few miles further with the horses, and found a grove of trees they would be relatively sheltered in. Arthur decided it was good enough. Gwen looked ready to fall off her horse, and Merlin looked bone weary as well.

"We will make camp here for the night. The sun will set in a couple of hours, and this is a good location. We just passed that small stream, and the trees will give us good coverage," Arthur said. No one tried to argue; they were all tired.

Arthur helped Gwen from the horse and put out her bedroll so she could lay down. She smiled in gratitude, lying down and closing her eyes. Arthur leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I'll wake you when the food is ready," he whispered in her ear. She nodded, with a slight smile and quickly fell asleep.

Arthur sat next to Gwen, reluctant to leave her side, and watched Merlin set up camp. Gwaine was watching Merlin with amusement, and Leon was staring at him like he had grown two heads. Percival and Elyan were taking care of the horses and talking amicably.

"Do you need any help getting the firewood?" Leon asked Merlin as he was about to disappear into the woods. Merlin smirked, and Arthur found himself smiling too. Arthur was not sure what Leon thought of Merlin's magic, but it was obvious he found the idea of a powerful sorcerer gathering firewood hard to grasp.

"I don't necessarily need help, but I would welcome the company," Merlin said.

"Well, if it is a party, I'm coming too," Gwaine said, putting his hand protectively on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin laughed.

"Alright, alright," Merlin agreed, and the three of them left their secluded grove to fetch some firewood and water.

Elyan and Percival were almost done with the horses when Arthur heard a twig break behind him. His senses were heightened from their recent fight with Morgana. He knew it was probably just an animal, but the hairs on his arm were raised. As he turned around, he saw a flash of black move into sight, and Morgana was there. She had her sword at his throat before he could draw his own sword.

"Where is Emrys?" She demanded, moving her sword an inch back, allowing him to talk. Arthur had been holding his breath and sucking in some fresh air, but refused to talk. Morgana looked crazed with her hair wildly sticking out in all directions, and her dress torn in several places. Elyan and Percival started to run towards them.

"Stop! I have your beloved king in my power. You will take five steps back, and then you will tell me where Emry is or I will kill your king," Morgana said. They did not say anything for a few moments and Morgana put her sword against Arthur's neck again where it drew a thin trail of blood.

"Wait, we don't know who Emrys is!" Percival yelled. Morgana looked at him for a minute, then screamed. Arthur knew this would be his end. It did not surprise him that he would die by his sister's hand. He wished it had been in battle, instead of getting his throat cut while caught unawares. Merlin and Leon would never forgive themselves for not being there. He closed his eyes, not wanting his last sight to be the monster that Morgana had become.

Arthur stood there waiting for the blow, but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Morgana with a look of horror on her face. She suddenly dropped her sword. He drew his own sword, but did not have to use it as Morgana fell to the ground. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion. Behind Morgana, stood Gwen who held a bloody sword in her hand; she had stabbed Morgana, but she was swaying on her feet. Arthur ran to her and caught her just as she collapsed, dropping his sword in the process. At the same time Merlin, Leon, and Gwaine came running into the camp. Merlin reached Arthur first.

"Are you and Gwen all right?" Merlin asked, kneeling next to them. Arthur looked up from Gwen to respond when he saw Merlin's eyes widen at something behind him. Merlin dove towards him, grabbing Excalibur, and thrust it into Morgana's heart just as she was about to stab Arthur. Morgana fell to the ground again, but this time did not move. Her eyes shut, and she seemed dead. Arthur did not want to take any chances, and felt for a pulse at her neck. There was none.

"It's finally over," Merlin whispered. He leaned over Morgana as well and examined a necklace she was wearing. "This shielded her some earlier, which is why she was not unconscious for days like we thought," Merlin said.

"Gwen, are you alright? You saved my life" Arthur said. Gwen was sitting up, but still looked worn.

"Yes, I'll be fine with some food in me. And Merlin is the one you should be thanking, he saved you twice today," Gwen said.

"You should really give Merlin a raise, don't you think your highness?" Gwaine said in a slightly mocking voice.

"Or at least a day off," Merlin mumbled under his breath.

"I will consider it," Arthur said, punching Merlin's arm, and causing him to roll his eyes. Then his eyes fell on Morgana again. "I think we should bury Morgana now."

"Do you want me to take care of it Arthur?" Merlin asked. Arthur appreciated Merlin's gesture, but he needed to be part of it.

"No, I think we should all do it together. She once was someone who deserved our love and respect," Arthur said, and he went over and picked up his sister. They followed him and he found a spot among the rocks to lay her. Then he started piling rocks on top of her. Merlin knelt down and helped him. When he was finished, he stood up and faced the rest of them.

"Morgana was once kind and compassionate, and that changed- in part through her own choices, and in part through circumstances that were forced upon her. She was alone, afraid, and persecuted. I hope to make changes in my kingdom, where no one feels that way again. Morgana hurt all of us, some of us deeply, but let us not forget who she once was, let us commit to remember the good with the bad. She will always have a place in my heart," Arthur said.

Gwen was crying, and Merlin had tears in his eyes. Gwen hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and hugged Arthur. Arthur hugged her back, and then reluctantly let her go. It was time to finish setting up camp. They all needed food and rest, and then everyone could start to heal.

"Did the three of you manage to get any firewood?" Percival asked.

"Yeah, we're hungry here, and you three came back empty handed. You really were just having a party weren't you Gwaine?" Elyan joked.

"We collected plenty of firewood. We just dropped in when we heard a scream, which I think is a pretty good reason to drop firewood. It's right over there. I'll get it," Merlin said, but instead of walking to where they had dropped it, he waved his hand, and the logs came floating over to him.

"What is going on?" Percival said, drawing his sword. Gwaine went over to him, and put his hand on Percival's shoulder.

"You think that is impressive. Wait until you see him talking to dragons," Gwaine said. Percival looked around at everyone else who seemed perfectly calm, and sheathed his sword.

"I think I missed something," he said.

"I think we all did," Leon said, also wanting an explanation.

"Peace Leon. Let Merlin get dinner started, and then we can talk about his magic," Arthur said. Leon nodded and sat down on a nearby log, waiting for the explanation. Percival sat down beside him, and the two of them were both now looking at Merlin like he was a mystery they could not understand. Arthur understood how they felt.

Merlin soon had the fire lit, and the stew cooking. It smelled divine. Arthur had helped Gwen over to one of the logs that Gwaine and Elyan had placed around their fire. They were all sitting and drooling over Merlin's stew now.

"Hmmm," Merlin said tasting the stew, "not quite ready yet. I think it needs another hour of simmering to be perfect." Arthur picked up a stick and threw it at him- Merlin ducked, avoiding it.

"If I do not have stew sitting in front of me in a couple minutes, I will put you in the stocks for a week!" Arthur said.

"All right, all right. It is ready," Merlin admitted with a smirk. Arthur found another twig to throw at him.

They all sat happily eating their food for a while. Gwen seemed to come alive with every bite she took, which cheered up Arthur to see. Her stomach could not handle much, but the little she was able to eat seemed to restore a good bit of her energy, and she was soon joking with Elyan about which of them was the better sword fighter.

"So, Merlin, how long have you had magic?" Leon asked. The group was suddenly silent and everyone leaned in to listen.

"All my life. I was born with it," Merlin said casually, still eating his soup. Leon's jaw dropped open at that, along with some of the other knights.

"That is possible?" Leon asked, and then realised it was a stupid question, "I mean is that common?"

"No, it is very rare. Only very powerful magical beings called warlocks are born that way. I cannot not use magic. It is a part of me. My mother sent me away when she learned my friend knew about my magic, and she thought Gaius could help me. At first I felt that maybe my magic was something I should be ashamed of. I watched Uther execute someone for magic the day I arrived so I was scared. Gaius helped me a lot, and talking to the dragon helped as well. I learned that the purpose of my magic is to protect Arthur, and help him become the Once and Future King who unites Albion. It also helped me realise I was not a monster, and I could use my magic for good," Merlin said. Everyone was silent for a while, processing what Merlin had said. Arthur was shocked he had shared so much.

"Are you Emrys?" Percival finally asked. Merlin raised a confused eyebrow at that.

"Morgana asked where Emrys was when she showed up," Arthur explained.

"Ah, yes, the druids call me that," Merlin said.

"How long have you known sire?" Leon asked, turning to Arthur.

"Not that long," Arthur said with some annoyance. "I figured it out on my own and confronted him about it after we took the castle back from Morgana and Helios. He tried to deny it, but finally admitted he was Emrys." Arthur glared at Merlin again. He still had not completely forgiven him for that incident.

"Ah," Leon said and knew better than to say anything else on that subject.

"Anyways," Merlin said, purposefully not looking at Arthur, "I have been doing my best to save Arthur and Camelot's people every time they are in danger, which is quite frequently. I only use my magic for good, and only for Arthur," Merlin said seriously.

"You mean for Arthur and his trusty knights, right Merlin? Would you mind coming to the tavern with me and _helping _out with some games of chance?" Gwaine said, "or putting a love spell on some ladies for me?"

"Gwaine, that is horrible!" Gwen said disapprovingly, and he had the courtesy to blush slightly.

"Why?" Percival asked, "Why protect Camelot and Arthur? King Uther would have had you killed if he learned of your magic, and Arthur still has magic outlawed. Why don't you go to a kingdom where you can use your magic freely?" Merlin looked into the bowl of his stew for a long time before answering.

"I suppose that is what a sensible person would do, but I believe in Arthur, and the kingdom he will create. He is the Once and Future King that will unite Albion, and bring peace. I'm destined to help him, and I want to help him. Also Camelot has become my home, and you all are my friends. I couldn't just abandon you to the next angry sorcerer that comes along," Merlin said.

"Ok, I get that, but why are you, a powerful warlock, still his servant? Couldn't you make him wash your clothes?" Gwaine said motioning to Arthur. Arthur rolled his eyes at Gwaine. Leon punched Gwaine hard in the shoulder.

"You know that is treason to say," Leon said glaring.

"It is a perfectly legitimate question. Don't you want to know why Merlin is playing at being a servant?" Gwaine said.

"I'm not playing at it," Merlin said, "I am Arthur's servant, and I don't mind at all. It has been an honor to be his servant, and while Morgana was alive, honestly it was a good way to hide my true identity. She never imagined the great Emrys as Arthur's servant. It was also a good way to be close to Arthur so I could protect him before he knew I could use magic," Merlin admitted. Leon looked at Merlin with respect, and the other knights seemed to admire his response as well.

"But that really does not seem fair to you. After all, you never get any credit that way… wait a minute!" Gwaine said and something seemed to occur to him, "you were the Dolma weren't you!" Merlin blushed.

"Well, I… it was bad enough Arthur knew. Can we not mention that?" Merlin said.

"Oh I think it is about time you were honest with everyone Merlin. That was not the first time you have worn this dress is it," Arthur said, pulling the black dress out of Merlin's pack.

"You are such a dollophead! I save your life, but do I get any thanks, no. I get you bringing up embarrassing stories!" Merlin said, stuffing the dress back in the pack.

"Oh come on Merlin, you have to tell us now," Gwaine said, but Merlin just shook his head. "You know the story, don't you?" Gwaine asked Arthur. Merlin turned a murderous stare at Arthur to which Arthur just grinned.

"I do know the story," Arthur said, "I heard it from a dragon. Merlin ignored some advice from the dragon, just as he often ignores things I tell him to do, and Merlin was forced into a situation that was not particularly pleasant for him."

"Ok, stop teasing us Arthur and tell us the whole story," Gwaine begged. Merlin's murderous stare turned pleading, and Arthur relented.

"I am truly sorry Gwaine, but Merlin will have to tell you that story himself," Arthur said with a smile. Merlin let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at Arthur.

"You are still a prat for bringing it up," Merlin complained.

"I did not bring it up, Gwaine did. Your welcome," Arthur said. Merlin rolled his eyes, and turned to the knights to see if they would ask any more questions. Everyone was quiet.

"Let us go to bed for the night. You can ask Merlin questions some other time. Know that you can still trust him though. He is still the same person, still our friend. I hope if you view him differently, it is only with more respect and regard for all he has done for us," Arthur said, looking all of his knights in the eyes, then he turned away from them, "I'll take first watch."

He found a rock a short distance from their enclosure of trees, where he could keep an eye on everyone in camp, and where he also had a good view of their surroundings. Everyone listened to him and went to their bedrolls, even Merlin for once. _He must be tired from using all that powerful magic against Morgana. _Gwen got to her bedroll, but instead of collapsing in it like he expected, she came over and sat next to Arthur.

"Gwen, you should rest. You need to heal, and it will be a long ride tomorrow," Arthur said.

"I will soon love," Gwen said and leaned against Arthur, and Arthur found that he could not argue with her. "So you found out about Merlin having magic, and then I was kidnapped, and then I returned brainwashed. That must have been frustrating," Gwen said.

"You have no idea… I wanted to tell you after we rescued you, but Merlin had a bad feeling, and I promised him I wouldn't. I was so worried when I found out that Merlin is Emrys, a powerful warlock. I thought that he was controlling me or wanted to manipulate me. Why else would he have agreed to be my servant? And even though I wanted to trust him, after Morgana, and Agravain, it was so hard. I kept doubting and second guessing his every action. I wanted to ask you this before so I'll ask you now. Am I a fool to trust Merlin? Do you think he is using me? He is supposedly the most powerful warlock to have ever lived," Arthur said. Gwen's eyes opened wide at that, but she was quiet as she considered what Arthur said.

"Arthur, I know how much Merlin means to you, even though you like to pretend otherwise. You trusted him with my life at the Cauldron, and you've trusted him with your own since he had told you, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have," Arthur said. "When he told me he had magic, I told him he had lost my friendship and my trust, and maybe for a moment that was true, but Gwen I cannot help wanting to trust him. Am I just going to be betrayed again? Is Merlin what is best for Camelot?"

"I can't tell you the answers to those questions Arthur, but I trust Merlin too. I mean he has had so many opportunities to betray you and Camelot. The only reason I can see that he would wait is if he is playing with us, but I just cannot imagine that of Merlin. I can tell deep down you trust him Arthur, and I think you have made the right choice," Gwen said. Arthur hugged her, and then pulled her up.

"I have been waiting so long to have that conversation with you. Thank you. Now, you must go and rest," Arthur said as he fondly pushed her towards her bedroll. She flashed him a grin, then followed his orders and got some much needed sleep. _'I think I made the right decision too. It is scary to imagine what would happen if I'm wrong about him, but I think Emrys is worth trusting. _


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry, this took a bit longer to write than I had planned! I was busy with things, I had to re-write some parts I wasn't happy with, and confession- I'm addicted to The Mentalist, and watched a couple episodes when I should have been writing! I'm still planning on writing a short story at some point about the first time Merlin was the Dolma in my storyline, but I'm not great at short stories so we'll see how that goes.

Thank you again to everyone who read this story! I am very honored you would take the time to read all of it. Extra thanks if you reviewed, favorited, and/or followed it! I've been working on my original fantasy fiction for a while, but if you'd like to see me write more fanfiction, let me know and I'll be more motivated to write more on here!

Disclaimer: If you have not figured it out, I do not own Merlin.

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Epilogue

_It had been six months since Morgana's defeat, and Arthur's world had taken a drastic change. All of Camelot had changed. He walked through the large doors, and headed towards his throne; however, it was not his throne any longer. A man in flowing black robes, with a golden staff sat where Arthur once had- it was Emrys. In six month he seemed to have aged years. He had a beard, and his eyes were fierce. Magic was now legal of course, and Emrys kept Arthur around as his servant. Arthur slowly approached the throne._

"_Have you finished with your chores Arthur? Is all my laundry clean? Are the stables mucked out?" Emrys asked in a condescending voice._

"_Yes Merlin, I did everything you asked," Arthur said begrudgingly. _

"_Arthur, what have I told you about calling me Merlin? Merlin was an act. My name is Emrys, King Emrys, and if you cannot remember that, I shall have to put you in the stocks," Emrys said. "As it is, maybe this will help you remember." Emrys stepped down off his throne, and Arthur took a warry step back. He was not afraid of Emrys, but the man could be intimidating. _

"_Stay still Arthur, stop being such a baby," Emrys said, then pulled an object out from behind his back. It was a pillow, and King Emrys proceeded to hit Arthur in the face with the pillow. This was ridiculous, completely outrageous!_

"Merlin, stop! Ok, you win, Emrys! Emrys stop!" Arthur said as he sat up. Looking around he saw that he was in his bed, and Merlin was staring at him with an amused expression.

"Really Arthur, I'll be sure to tell your enemies that the best way to get you to surrender is not to use a sword, but a pillow," Merlin said mocking Arthur. Arthur responded by throwing the offending pillow back at Merlin.

"I was having a bad dream. You should really stop waking me up in the morning. Why don't we give that responsibility to George like we did some of your other duties," Arthur said.

"Are you kidding me? I doubt George could wake you when you are sleeping like that," Merlin said with a laugh, then turned serious. "Was I in your dream? You called me Emrys." Merlin said, sounding concerned.

"Do not worry about it Merlin. It was just a dream. We have more important things to do today, like celebrating six months of peace, and some ceremony involving you, if I remember correctly," Arthur said. And here Merlin frowned again. Arthur knew he was not excited about the public ceremony.

"Why don't you just post a proclamation about it? I don't see why so many people have to be there," Merlin said.

"Merlin, are you nervous?" Arthur jibed. Merlin just glared at him and raised a pillow threatenly.

"I am up, no need to get violent. I never knew warlocks were so touchy," Arthur said to which Merlin rolled his eyes. Arthur could smell the breakfast sitting on the table. George must have dropped it off while Merlin was trying to wake Arthur up. Arthur quickly seated himself at the table and started devouring the food. The ceremony was in an hour, and he needed to get moving.

* * *

Merlin's morning had been uneventful. He performed his normal duties of getting Arthur up and ready for the day, then he had gone back to his new chambers and put on his ceremonial robes. The robes were a deep burgundy with gold trim, including the pendragon crest in gold threads over his heart. They also seemed slightly longer than his normal red robes he had been wearing lately. _'I know I'm going to trip during the ceremony, and Arthur will never let me forget it_' he lamented.

It was time to go to the ceremony. Merlin took a deep breath to steady his nerves; there really was nothing to be worried about. He headed to the great hall and found Arthur and Gwen waiting for him at the side entrance.

"Decided to show, I see," Arthur said.

"Arthur, stop giving Merlin such a hard time. He's not used to being the center of attention, like you are" Gwen said.

"It's ok Gwen. It would feel even stranger if Arthur wasn't giving me a hard time," Merlin said. Arthur was about to reply, when the side door opened. He was actually very grateful his friends had distracted him from thinking about the ceremony. News had spread quickly, and many people knew Merlin had magic now, but formally announcing it and his new position made the hairs on his arm stand up. It went against the secrecy that had been ingrained into him regarding his magic since he was born.

Merlin hestited walking into the hall. '_Who is supposed to go first anyways_?' Arthur, in typical Arthur fashion, gave him a little shove into the hall. Merlin walked quickly, using all of his concentration to not trip. Arthur had at least told him where he was to stand so he made his way to the steps in front of the throne. He glanced up, noticed the hundreds of people crowded into the room staring at him, and quickly turned back to face Arthur. The knights were standing in the front, off to the side. Gwaine caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile, and Merlin smiled back.

Arthur stood in front of him and said something formal, but Merlin was having trouble focusing. He really should start paying attention. Arthur was going to ask him something, and it would be embarrassing if he didn't have an answer.

"Magic has been legal in Camelot for two months now. As I said at the time, there is no evil in magic, just in the hearts of men who would wield it. The reason I was confident in making magic legal was because I knew I had someone at my side who could determine and judge when magic was being used as a force for good and when it is not. Most of you know Merlin, but he is also known as Emrys, and I would like you to see that side of my friend tonight," and here Arthur gave Merlin the signal.

He couldn't believe Arthur wanted him to perform magic in front of all these people, and he had argued against it, but Arthur had won the argument. Arthur had also wanted to make magic legal as soon as they returned from defeating Morgana, but Merlin had argued the people needed some time to adjust, and they should reach out to magic users within their kingdom, especially the druids to get input on the new laws. The new laws had gone over well, with only a few complaints, but the people were not used to large displays of magic in front of them.

Merlin turned to face his audience, and quickly closed his eyes and raised his staff. He did not need it, but Arthur said it made him look formidable to those that did not have magic, and it fooled those that had magic into thinking he needed it to perform powerful spells.

"Ifthai nightario celestia dara can ignighta lan starianata!" Merlin yelled. The words were for show. He did not need a verbal incantation with the staff to focus his power. Saying something that sounded impressive had been Merlin's idea. Arthur tried to understand magic, but he still had a million misconceptions about how it worked.

The whole room went dark, and people gasped. It did not stay dark for long. Soon lights appeared dancing onto the ceiling, twirling and unearthly beautiful. In the glow, Merlin could see people's faces turning from fear to awe and delight. Merlin had made a replica of the night sky in broad daylight. He could not help the grin that spread across his face, and he sent some miniature comets to create flares of multicolored light dancing across his sky.

"Now, you are just showing off," Arthur whispered to him, but he was smiling as well. Merlin let everyone enjoy the night sky for a little longer before slowly making it fade away, and people blinked, re-adjusting to the sun's rays shining through the windows. The knights started clapping in appreciation, and the whole room joined in. Merlin nodded in acknowledgment, then turned back to Arthur, trying not to blush. He really was not used to being the center of attention.

"Merlin defeated Morgana. He has helped bring peace to this kingdom. He has saved my life and saved Camelot countless times. In honor of that, I would like to present him with the formal position of Court Sorcerer of Camelot. Kneel Merlin," Arthur said. Merlin quickly knelt.

"This medallion is a symbol of my friendship with Merlin and his position at court," Arthur said, slipping a ribbon with a large engraved gold circle around Merlin's neck. "And this key to the vaults is a symbol of my complete trust in Emrys," said Arthur as he handed Merlin the key. Merlin's mouth dropped open. He hadn't expected Arthur to give him the key. He now had access to all of the magical artifacts beneath the castle. It made sense for him to be in charge of those artifacts, but it was a huge sign of faith on Arthur's part.

"Thank you for your trust in me," Merlin finally managed to stammer out.

"Merlin, do you swear to protect Camelot and her king with all of your magic, only using it to protect those who need it, and as a force for good," Arthur said.

"I swear it. I swear my loyalty to you, Arthur, and to Camelot. I will never lift a finger against it, or seek power for myself. I will serve you until my dying breath," Merlin said. It was Arthur's turn to be rendered speechless, but being king, he recovered quickly.

"Your loyalty is valued, and we offer our gratitude for all you have done and continue to do for us. Rise Merlin, Court Sorcerer of Camelot!" Arthur proclaimed. Merlin stood and turned to face the audience. There was wild applause, even louder than the last round. Merlin bowed his head to the people, then left through the side entrance. Arthur said something else to his people, then followed Merlin out. Merlin waited until Arthur caught up. They stared at each other for a moment, then Merlin broke out in laughter, and Arthur smiled.

"You don't have to threaten me with the stocks anymore," Merlin said.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Arthur said.

"Just threaten one of those ceremonies again, and I'll behave. I promise!" Merlin said. Arthur laughed, amused at Merlin.

"I will, but hopefully it will not come to that. I expect better behavior from my court sorcerer," Arthur said.

"Right. I will do my best, but someone has to make sure your head doesn't get too big," Merlin said, causing Arthur to roll his eyes. Then looked at him seriously, "Thank you, for giving me the key Arthur."

"It makes sense for you to have it, and I do completely trust you Merlin. I have been raised my whole life to think magic is evil, that I cannot trust those who wield it, and then other sorcerer's, including Morgana, came along and proved to me that sorcerers were out to harm Camelot, and they could not be trusted. And then I learned you had magic, and you proved all my misconceptions wrong. I still have prejudiced thoughts against magic users sometimes, but I want that to change. I want you to help me change this kingdom. Thank you for being someone I can trust Emrys," Arthur said, and he said it with warmth, not fear. Merlin reached forward and gave him a brief hug. Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin again.

"Thank you Arthur. You won't regret it," Merlin said. The two men smiled at each other, then made their way back to Arthur's chambers. They had a lot more to do to bring peace to Albion, but together, Merlin knew they could. The Once and Future King would bring peace and safety to all of the land. Camelot was no longer a place of fear. The king trusted Emrys and all the people now trusted their king.


End file.
